‘Decider in Chief’

As a former trustee on the board of the Village of Greenwood Lake, I can appreciate the efforts of the mayors who hold office as the chief executive officers of their respective communities. It isn’t always easy to be - as George W. Bush called it - the “Decider in Chief.”

There isn’t always agreement between an executive officer and those whose role it is to “advise and consent.” A good mayor attempts to keep discussions inclusive and relevant to the topic at hand, while maintaining a focus on achievable goals for the village, as well as the means to achieve them. Of course, nobody is perfect when it comes to managing what might be called “groupthink.” There is always room for improvement.

How, then, should we measure the effectiveness of our elected officials? It seems to me that the best way is to look at results.

When I look at the results which Mayor Barbara Moore has achieved for the Village of Greenwood Lake, there is no question that I want her to continue in office.

From the improvements to our parks, our infrastructure - including drinking water improvement and storm runoff management- to Village beautification; to business, tourism, and arts development; to protection and improvement of our most valuable asset- our Lake- Ms. Moore has maintained a laser-like focus on results.

All this has been done with a sharp eye on the means with which to achieve so much! Mayor Moore has applied for and received over $2 million in grants, has balanced six years of budgets with an overall tax rate increase of only 1.4 percent, with no appreciable increase in our debt.

Those are results we can be proud of. Please take pride in our village on March 19. Join me in re-electing Mayor Barbara Moore.

Raymond T. Smith
Greenwood Lake