The S.C.A.A. has invited the candidates for Village office to submit
statements concerning their candidacies.
The S.C.A.A. does not support or oppose any candidate.
The content of this statement has not been edited
except as necessary to post it on the Internet.
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Frank Markus (631) 583-7739
I am running for reelection to the Saltaire Board of Trustees. I believe that I have been an effective trustee with a consistent record of accomplishment and integrity in office. I am persistent and get good things done. Equally important, I am unafraid to oppose the bad, the foolish or the extravagant. Issues There are always more ideas for projects that the Village could undertake than there is money to pay for them. My consistent position has been to insist that each proposal’s benefits clearly exceed its cost. Of course this has not always been popular with the proponents of particular projects. Protecting Saltaire’s environment is important to me. I see much of the Board’s job as ensuring that inevitable change does not destroy Saltaire’s essential qualities and values. I support a moratorium on development in the Clam Cove area until the Board receives a report from the new commission created to study it. few years ago the Board voted to greatly increase the maximum legal height of houses. Now, even further increases in maximum height and in lot coverage are being proposed. We don’t need taller, bigger houses. I oppose both. I have opposed the freeze on boat mooring fees for the past three years. Why should boat owners get special treatment? (But then, I don’t currently own a boat.) Trustees must not use their office to benefit themselves – or give that appearance. They should not be rewarded for their service with special privileges such as extra or free parking spaces. The current Village Board has been properly criticized for too much bickering and personal antagonism. The next Board must be more collegial and less divided. I have tried in the past and will try harder in the future to make it so. Legislation I have drafted laws that have affected the quality and safety of Village life from fire prevention, noise abatement and controlling dangerous dogs to safer fencing and chair storage. I hope that they were all necessary – and limited. I drafted most of the recent law enabling the safe use of propane for Mosquito Magnets. Now, I am working with Bob Cox and the rest of the Board to draft a law to permit barbecuing in a way that stresses safety and the concerns of neighbors. I expect that it will be passed this spring. The Budget Saltaire is in the business of providing services. Simply put, having a second home is a luxury and we must provide residents with services that are in line with their reasonable expectations. If we do not provide those services, the effect over time will be to erode our property values and, with them, our tax base. Saltaire’s budget is being squeezed by uncontrollable costs such as insurance, pensions, taxes and the like. This is unfortunate but it does not justify cutting necessary services. We must get full value for our money. We must be prudent and frugal but never arbitrary. Every proposed expenditure must be tested for usefulness and by our ability to afford it. My Responsibilities In my first year on the Board, I served as Finance Trustee. My most important contribution in that role was forcefully to bring to the Board's attention that Saltaire -- without federal assistance -- would soon have to pay to restore our beach. I suggested that we start building up reserves immediately in order to limit the impact on taxes when the project began. It worked. We used those reserves for our new beach and taxes are under control.I currently head three Village departments: Recreation, Fire Safety and Health. As Recreation Trustee, I made rules giving Saltaire residents priority in all recreation department programs. Children from outside Saltaire pay more to attend our camp. Our non-resident camp fees help keep our taxes down. The Fire Company has excellent equipment but needs more firefighters and EMTs. Please consider joining. There are few things that a resident of Saltaire who wants to give back to the Village can do that are more important or satisfying than service in the Fire Company. About Me I have lived in Saltaire for about twenty-five years. My kids grew up in Saltaire. They went to camp and became counselors, they learned to sail and became sailing instructors. Saltaire made a real difference in who they are and I am grateful. For years, I organized the Saltaire Halloween Party and was "Mr. Halloween." Most years, I still am. I have been a judge at the Sandcastle Contest since it began. I have helped with the Jogathon and 10K races and other community events. I try to be useful. I think I succeed. I host and maintain the S.C.A.A. Web site. It is a lot of work but I am happy with the results including the very useful directory of email addresses. The address is www.saltaire-scaa.com, and there is a lot there that is useful, attractive and interesting. I served three years on the board of the S.C.A.A., the last two as chairman. I organized and hosted the first Candidate Forum. Now I must appear as a candidate. After I left the SCAA board, I was encouraged to run for the Village Board. I won and have now served two terms. Conclusion I am grateful for the support I have received in the past. I hope that you will agree that I merit your vote in this election.
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Copyright ©1998-2004 Frank Markus, S.C.A.A.