Election Day is Tomorrow – X101 Speaks With Several Candidates For Homer Trustees

Election Day is tomorrow, Tuesday November 4th. Polling sites will be open from 6am to 9pm for registered voters. In the Village of Homer, village residents will be voting for Mayor (who is unopposed) and three seats on the Board of Trustees; two 4-year terms and one 2-year term.

Running for the 2 seats on the Board of Trustees for a four year term are current incumbents Liz Arnold (Dem.) and Ed Porter (Rep.). Challengers are Tim Maxson (Rep.), and Robert Russell (Dem.). X101 News was able to speak with Arnold, Porter, and Maxson about their backgrounds and experience, and what they’ll bring to the board.

Running for the one 2-year term for the Board of Trustees is incumbent Ed Finkbeiner (Rep) and Mike Opsteegh (Dem).

You can find each interview below for the Trustees candidates:

Liz Arnold Runs for Re-Election on the Homer Board of Trustees

Liz Arnold is running for re-election on the Homer Board of Trustees, which she joined this year.

“I was raised to believe it’s my duty as a community member to pitch in and help get things done, to make things better for the community that I live in, and I really enjoy helping translate what residents share with me into some type of action,” Arnold said.

A current priority of hers is making sure resident’s tax dollars are being spent wisely, especially because Cortland County has the highest property tax rate of any county in the state. Today, she did her weekly check-in at Town Hall to review and authorize bill payments.

“County legislature has put our village in this situation by not managing their own budgets properly,” Arnold said. “They’re using all the towns and villages as piggy banks that they can then withdraw from, without offering additional services in return. It’s really incredibly frustrating to see.”

Before joining the Board of Trustees, Arnold served on the Homer Economic Development Committee, and helped lead the presentation that landed Homer the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Grant. Another goal of hers is to focus on the marketing of Homer.

“That’s what brings in additional revenue to the village and to our local businesses, and doesn’t put additional burden on our local taxpayers,” she said.

Ed Finkbeiner Seeks Re-Election to Two-Year Term

Incumbent Trustee, Ed Finkbeiner, is looking to be re-elected the the Village of Homer Board of Trustees 2-year term. Finkbeiner says he is running again due to the new challenge the village now faces.

“I’m running because we have a big issue with the county reducing the tax sharing to the village by over $110,000. Finkbeiner told X101 News. “And because of my experience of being a Trustee since 2016, I think I’m in the best position to understand where we can either tighten budgets or cancel budgets and still provide the service.”

Finkbeiner added besides the sales tax burden, the village also faces challenges from the state from the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), which included $2 million for the festival grounds near the Community Building. He also noted accomplishments while on the board including the completion of phase one of the village’s Linear Park, now known as Hage Riverwalk Park, which will enter into phase 2, design and construction of the park.

Work to update the village’s comprehensive plan has also begun. “The last one was done in 2010, but the comprehensive plan is how all projects in the village of Homer have to go through as a filter.” Finkbeiner said. Other projects the village is working through include the dying trees on Main Street, electric sign ordinances, and walkable Homer.

When asked what his day one priority would be, Finkbeiner told X101 News it will be working on the budget. “Right now, we have to find $110,000 without raising taxes. Truth is, we’re going to have to probably, but we hate it. And that’s what I’ve been, you know, focusing on for the last 10 years is keep the taxes as low as possible and still provide the services.”

“Experience is one thing.” Finkbeiner said on what he can bring as opposed to his opponent. “The opponents are very nice people…. and they’re good people, it’s just different ideas on how to get things done, but I’m gonna say that my experience is going to be the key difference to provide a better experience for the village of Homer, which I dearly love.”

Tim Maxson Seeks 4-Year Term on Homer Board of Trustees

A resident within the Village of Homer for 32 years, and Homer Fire Department Board President, Tim Maxson, says he has seen a lot of things happen within the village and believes its his turn to step up to help the community he lives in.

“It’s a big job, there’s a lot of stuff that goes on. [the village] has the budget and obviously everybody knows what’s going on with the county with the taxes and just work to make sure that everybody’s safe.” Maxson said.

Maxson says some of the issues he see’s the village facing are the rise in taxes and it’s effect on senior citizens living within the village. “I think you’re gonna have a tough time living in the village.” Maxson said. “A lot of seniors I’ve talked to are worried about their income. They’re on a single income and social security and all that. They’re worried about being able to stay and live in the village of Homer because they like it.”

Maxson says what he can bring to the Board of Trustees is not only his availability, noting he is retired, but the experience he has gained volunteering with the Homer Fire Department for 35 years. “I know most people, my face is out there. I know the budget. I meet with the DPW, I talk to the water department. I talk to the police department all the time. I know how they operate, I know how they work and I will be here and available for the residents if they need something.”

Ed Porter Runs for Re-Election on the Homer Board of Trustees

Ed Porter is running to keep his seat on the Homer Board of Trustees, which he was appointed to six months ago.

“I’ve found it to be both instructive and very interesting to see how the village works,” Porter said. “I’m a teacher, so I love to learn, and I’ve found it very interesting seeing how the village runs.”

Overall, the village is being run very well, he said, except for the wrinkle that is the sale tax. “The elephant in the room for the village is the sales tax changes that have been implemented by the county,” Porter said. “That is going to be a high impact thing on our budget, and we’re a small village, and our budget is not huge. The amount of money that will be withheld from Homer is going to be difficult to work around and find solutions for, and some of those solutions may be painful to be addressed.”

Porter plans to make sure village residents are harmed as little as possible by this, while keeping all of the services and programs currently running. He also plans to run more festivals and events on Main Street.

“I’ve worked in education for many, many years,” he said. “One of the things we do well in education is collaboration and being able to work with diverse people and ideas, and come to some kind of consensus. I think I’m pretty good at being a consensus builder and a listener because I’ve had to be throughout my career.”

Porter has worked as an educator for 23 years. He also thinks his middle-class background makes him a hard-working candidate. “I’m willing to dedicate the time, and what’s needed to tackle various problems, and celebrate the things that we do very well,” Porter said.

Mike Opsteegh Runs for Homer Board of Trustees

Mike Opsteegh moved to Homer a few years ago. While attending a Homer Board of Trustees meeting, he noticed they were short one candidate.

“I’m the kind of person who likes to get involved and roll up my sleeves, so it didn’t take much to get me to throw my name in the ring,” Opsteegh said.

If elected, creating a smart and measured growth strategy for the comprehensive plan is a top priority for him.

“When I say things like that, I see people tense up, and that’s because they think I want to change the village, but that’s not the case at all,” he said. “We do need to develop additional housing, for two reasons.”

Creating more housing would spread the tax burden across additional households. The Board of Trustees is going to have to look for efficiencies in the budget, which will be difficult, because the village already runs on a tight budget, he said.

There is also a need for smaller housing options. Many older individuals live in larger households, despite not needing that much space. There should be an option for them that is easier for them to manage, he said.

“I think it’s really important that we give them a place to stay, in a way that doesn’t take away from the historic character of the village,” Opsteegh said. Opsteegh thinks he will bring a fresh perspective to the Board.

“My opponent is running on his experience,” he said. “He has served on the Board of Trustees for over a decade, but experience can be a two-edged sword… Sometimes experience can make you stop listening. When you think you know all of the reasons things can’t be done… I hear that from my opponent.”