OntheWilderSide

 Mayor West garnered national attention for being the only East Coast mayor to marry same-sex couples, but his administration have accomplished a great deal more:

• Built the first phase of a reed bed system to turn our sewage into compost rather than mix it with toxic chemicals and ship it to landfills. We plan to expand our program to deal with almost 90% of our sewage on-site with the reeds, at an estimated cost savings of $30,000 per year.
• Installed a solar panel array on the public works garage which has generated 15,333 kW of electricity, saved taxpayers $2,299 and has kept 16,743 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.
• Are looking into building a 500,000 gallon per year biodiesel fuel facility which could supply every public works truck, fire truck and school bus with a non-toxic, biodegradable fuel with 80% fewer emissions, while generating thousands of dollars in revenue each year.
• Commissioned two studies of wetlands and watercourse in the Village. Based on those studies, and the work done in the Town, we have just recently finished writing a pair of laws that will protect wetlands and watercourses; one law defining what is protected and how, and a second creating an overlay district which precisely maps which properties may have wetlands or watercourse on them.
• Fought hard for student, youth, women’s and human rights, establishing committees to improve landlord-tenant relations, a Youth Commission, anti-war actions, support of pro-choice events and performing the only same-sex marriages to ever occur in New York State. We continue to engage an anti-racist, anti-hate ideology after facing bigoted protests and neo-Nazi activity. We continue to work towards social justice and equality as we discuss legislation to extend protections to transgendered people facing harassment in the community.
• Presented a budget to the village board that cuts taxes for the second year in a row – an 8% cut last year, and a 15% cut this year. When the first draft of the budget was finished, it came with a 22% tax cut; a cut both the Village Treasurer and myself were uncomfortable with, due to the sometimes volatile nature of municipal budgets when unfunded mandates come down from the state, or when health care costs skyrocket. The 15% is a conservative tax cut, one that leaves us with enough money in reserve to meet unexpected costs, while at the same time allowing us money to set aside to leverage into more money through aggressive pursuit of grant funding.

The New Paltz election is May 1, 2007 and you can access Jason’s web page at: jasonwest.org

Campaign contributions can be mailed to the following address.  (Political contributions are not tax deductible.)

Friends of Jason West
c/o Warren T. Shanahan
136 North Chestnut St. Apt. 8D
New Paltz, NY 12561

Matthew L. Edge is the Field Director/Volunteer Coordinator of the campaign. You may contact Matthew at: 845-853-4387 or
democracymatt@yahoo.com / democracymatt at yahoo dot com

For information on the Mayor Jason West  campaign, contact:
Brittany Turner at brittaful@aol.com / brittaful at aol dot com

New Paltz village residents will see their property taxes slashed by fifteen percent under the 2007-2008 budget proposed by Mayor Jason West. And yet, services will continue at their current high level and the village infrastructure continue the steady improvement that has marked the last four years. “I have been able to craft a budget that not only continues delivering high quality of life, but allows village residents to reduce their tax bill,” said West. “This is the result of four years of sound fiscal management and this budget maintains my commitment to a strong financial foundation the village can continue to build upon.”

West said the budget allows the village to continue making progress improving efficiency and services, use smart planning to alleviate long standing infrastructure issues, and move forward with a commitment to environmental policies that are steadily moving the village toward a more sustainable footing.

With the tax cut, the village of New Paltz is almost unique in the Hudson Valley, where town, school and county taxes steadily rise.

The tax cut is part of a series of strong policy and financial initiatives undertaken by Mayor West since he took office in 2003. These policies include shifting the financing of $2.2 million in water system improvements from USDA loans to serial bonds after a drop in interest rates, a move predicted to save taxpayers nearly $1.5 million in interest payments alone.

Filed under: 9-11, Anti-War, cynthia mckinney, election, elections, Green Party Websites, international politics, Political Websites, reform, Same-Sex Marriage, social & economic justice, third party, US Politics, video Tagged: | third parties, UFPJ, vegetarien