ELECTIONS | BY JEREMY MOULE
Medley looms over Irondequoit races To make sense of Irondequoit’s politics, it helps to think of the town as Monroe County’s swing state. Party affiliation doesn’t seem to mean much to Irondequoit voters. And they aren’t reluctant to bounce sitting officials out of office. As a result, town elections are often tough, hard-fought contests, and the 2013 races are no exception. On the Republican side, Supervisor Mary Joyce D’Aurizio and Town Board member Paul Marasco, both incumbents, are seeking re-election. They’re joined on the ticket by attorney Bill Brongo, who’s seeking the other open Town Board seat. Their Democratic challengers are supervisor candidate Adam Bello and Town Board candidates Dave Seeley and Lorie Barnum. Bello is the chief administrator of the county District Attorney’s Office, Barnum is director of development for the YWCA, and Seeley is an advisor to State Assembly member Joe Morelle. D’Aurizio and Marasco stress their roles in rebuilding the town’s finances. They both started their terms the same year that a state Comptroller’s Office issued an audit criticizing the previous administration’s budgeting. Between the end of 2006 and the end of 2009, the town’s reserves had dropped from $1.5 million to $297,000. By the end of 2009, then-supervisor Mary Ellen Heyman and the Town Board had adopted new fiscal policies and practices. And D’Aurizio says that the next few budgets, which were prepared under her administration, brought the town’s reserves up to $3.8 million, while keeping the tax rate flat. The rate stays flat in the proposed 2014 budget, she says. “That’s what prompted me to run in the first place in 2009 because I knew I could really straighten out the finances, really come up with balanced budgets,” D’Aurizio says. The Democratic slate has its own budget ideas. The candidates say that they want to implement participatory budgeting, where certain amounts of money are set aside and devoted to different projects in different neighborhoods. The idea makes sense, Bello says, because one neighborhood might need sidewalks repaired, for example, while another might need tougher code enforcement. Irondequoit has several high-profile, evolving issues. Town voters approved a
long-sought library consolidation plan this year, though opponents are passing
petitions to try to force another vote. And one night last month, fights broke out among a large group of young people at Regal Culver Ridge movie theater. Bello panned D’Aurizio for waiting several days to address the incident. In the Adam Bello. PHOTO BY MARK CHAMBERLIN Mary Joyce D’Aurizio. PHOTO BY LARISSA COE end, security was added to the theater and the town has police patrolling the payment. But he cautions that Congel and he should clean up the graffiti on his parking lot. would probably sue. properties. Any other town property owner But the biggest issue in Irondequoit D’Aurizio says that the town’s hands have would be required to do the maintenance is Medley Centre. Candidates on both been tied on Medley Centre, largely because or face penalties, they say. sides say that there is widespread public of the way that the project’s tax agreement is Democrats say that it’s time for the dissatisfaction with the lack of progress at written. The agreement, which was drafted town to advocate for an end to the Medley Medley, and with developer Scott Congel. during the previous administration, doesn’t Centre tax agreement. (The decision is The residents see a project that’s getting give the town the same authority to assess ultimately up to the Monroe County significant tax breaks but showing few penalty payments as the school district and Industrial Development Agency, which has tangible signs of advancement. COMIDA have, she says. been reluctant to talk about terminating And recent circumstances haven’t Recently, however, D’Aurizio got the agreement.) helped. While Congel has made required Congel to demolish two buildings on the The Democratic slate contrasts the payments to the town, county, and East Medley property, though the buildings way that the town has handled Congel Irondequoit School District under a 2009 were supposed to have come down a and Medley Centre with officials’ tax agreement, he has failed to meet a $165 handling of the multi-use I-Square few years ago. D’Aurizio says that the million investment benchmark. He faces a demolition represents progress. Congel has project. Seeley says that the town seems large penalty payment in January. asked for changes to the tax agreement, but to be giving Congel a pass, but that The Democratic slate has used the dead D’Aurizio said that she wouldn’t negotiate officials stood in the way of I-Square. mall to make its argument for leadership The process was adversarial, they say, and until the buildings were down. change in town government. Bello has led “Right now, I think I’m holding the fraught with miscommunication. that charge, criticizing D’Aurizio for not The Democrats say that the town should aces,” D’Aurizio says. “I really feel we’re being more forceful, he says, in holding going to be able to push him.” have worked with I-Square developers Congel to his commitments. Brongo, a Republican Town Board Mike and Wendy Nolan to make sure that “There’s been little to no investment candidate, backs D’Aurizio’s approach. the project progressed. But when pressed, Negotiations will yield better results, on the property, and the town has been Democrats didn’t offer details on what he says, than trying to cancel the tax virtually silent on this issue for threetown officials could have done differently. agreement. The latter could result in and-a-half years,” Bello says. “That void The Nolans and the town did eventually lengthy, expensive litigation, he says, and of leadership has really allowed the reach an agreement, and the project is the focus should be on encouraging Congel developer to miss his milestones without under construction near the Titus Avenueto move ahead with a clear vision. repercussions.” Cooper Road intersection. As for I-Square, D’Aurizio and Marasco Bello and fellow Democrats Seeley and Marasco, a Republican Town Board say that they and the other Town Board Barnum also say that the town should be member who is seeking re-election, says members were being cautious. The Nolans more aggressive in holding Congel to town that he supports terminating Congel’s tax wanted a tax agreement that differed code requirements. Congel should keep agreement if Congel misses the January continues on page 8 Medley Centre’s grass mowed, they say, rochestercitynewspaper.com
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