Woodstock mayoral hopefuls debate apathy
By BRIAN SLUPSKI - bslupski@nwherald.com
WOODSTOCK – Is Woodstock apathetic? That was one of the topics discussed Wednesday by incumbent Mayor Brian Sager and challenger Mark Indyke. Sager is seeking his second term as mayor in the upcoming April 7 election.
During an interview Wednesday with the Northwest Herald editorial board, Sager responded to a comment that Indyke made about community involvement in Woodstock.
“I take issue with the notion of apathy within the city of Woodstock,” Sager said. “Our people come together and rally to a cause.”
Sager listed service organizations, charity events and other examples of good citizenship. Indyke said that he did not disagree with Sager’s comments about Woodstock service organizations; however, residents are not involved enough in the business of city government.
“By and large, if you talk to people on the street who are not involved with service organizations, they are apathetic,” Indyke said, adding that he had talked to many residents who had concerns about the city but who believed there was little they could do about it.
Indyke said the city needed to do a better job of listening to residents and making city government more accessible. For example, Indyke said, agendas of City Council meetings should include detailed descriptions of issues so residents have a better idea of what is being voted on.
Indyke also has proposed volunteer citizen guides to assist on the Square. The guides could help direct visitors to events, answer questions, and provide a level of security as an additional set of eyes for local police.
Sager said that the City Council was expanded in the past four years from five members to seven. He said this improved representation of residents in city government.
Sager said he was proud of the city’s accomplishments during the past four years.
The city approved, with 50 conditions, a multipurpose facility that will be home to an independent league baseball team in 2010. The facility also could host other regional events, such as the county fair. The project is being privately financed.
The city also created transportation and environmental commissions and took steps toward improving Route 47. The city has made widening the state route a priority and estimates the cost of the project to be $62 million.
Sager and Indyke said they each wanted to encourage the growth of business and industry to broaden the tax base and lessen the tax burden on homeowners.
Indyke also said he believed Woodstock needed to develop new revenue streams. For example, Indyke supports the creation of a business licensing fee of about $100.
Sager does not support the creation of such a fee, equating the proposal to a tax on business at a time when many businesses are struggling because of the economy.
