Councilman J.B. Herron gave special attention to recycling efficiency in his first term, looking forward to new projects
J.B. Herron—or James B. Herron, Jr. as his name will appear on the ballot in November—is seeking reelection to his seat on the Town of Webb Board.
He is a Republican residing in Old Forge, with his first four-year term due to expire in December.
As one of two Republicans running for two open seats on the Board, Herron was not involved in a primary.
“Basically I’ve been trying to work on efficiency in local government and in the operation of our departments,” Herron said.
A main focus during his first term has been bringing efficiency to Webb’s recycling program.
Herron has been instrumental in designing and arranging for the construction of a new compacting station, which he said will benefit the town in long-term savings. Mark Hudon’s DPW handles the day-to-day operation of the site.
“Our cost to the Waste Management Authority is based on the weight of loads that we truck. This compactor allows us carry more material per load, which reduces our number of trips to Utica. It also makes sure we aren’t paying for non-garbage weight. Previously rainwater and melted snow had been able to accumulate in the containers, which made our loads heavier and more costly,” he said.
“This was a project that we had going anyway, and was needed, but it also put us in a better situation in transitioning to Single Stream Recycling. Originally the Waste Management Authority had intended to switch to that process in 2013, but last February they changed plans and decided to start this past July. The work we were doing to revamp our recycling collections had gotten us on a good path for making that switch,” Herron said.
And though the process has gone well, it still needs some finishing touches, Herron said.
“We need a new truck that better suits our new collection needs,” he said
“We didn’t include funding for that equipment in the current budget, so we will be discussing that purchase as a priority for next year’s budget,” he said.
And controlled spending through proper budgeting has always been a top priority to Herron as an elected official, he added.
“Even moreso in recent years with the uncertainty we’ve seen in the economy. We need to make sure we’re saving money where we can. We need to make sure our finances stay manageable, even in worst case situations.”
Overall, Herron said he is pleased with the work he and the board and the departments have done during his first term, and he said he is anxious to continue.
“I’ve been around the state and other places in the country. The economy is not good out there and there’s a ton of closed businesses. We don’t seem to be feeling those effects right now, but we need to proceed with caution,” he said.
“There are many projects that are ongoing and many areas for improvement that I would like to focus on in the next four years. I’ve enjoyed the work, and I’ve enjoyed the challenge. I think we’ve done some really valuable things for the taxpayers we serve in the Town of Webb,” he said.
On the ballot next week, competing for two seats on the Town of Webb Board, along with Councilman J.B. Herron, are Robert McCoy, Patrick Perkins and Mary Brophy-Moore
