Friday, April 26, 2024 | St. Lawrence County, NY
To the Editor: My name is Joe Timmerman, and this letter is to introduce myself to the voters of St. Lawrence County, especially to those in District 10. Our district covers most of the Village of …
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To the Editor:
My name is Joe Timmerman, and this letter is to introduce myself to the voters of St. Lawrence County, especially to those in District 10. Our district covers most of the Village of Potsdam, including both Clarkson University and SUNY Potsdam.
My primary goal is to help get our county financially back on track. I have worked at SUNY Potsdam for the past thirteen years, where I currently serve as the Chair of the Business Administration Department and as an Associate Professor of Finance. Before becoming a teacher, I worked as a commercial banker. My job in commercial banking was to determine the financial health of the companies who requested business loans.
My wife and I love living in Potsdam, and we have raised our three boys here. Until recently, our county was financially stable. Dr. Pat Turbett was our district’s legislative representative for many years, and he also served as the Chairman of the Board of Legislators. Dr. Turbett, a fellow SUNY professor, valued and emphasized fiscal responsibility. However, in 2010 the county Democratic Party chose Mr. Jim Bunstone as their candidate, despite the fact that Dr. Turbett was still willing to serve the county, and that Mr. Bunstone was actually a Republican.
After that election, there seemed to be much less legislative emphasis on fiscal responsibility. We have experienced two of the largest tax increases in county history, and the county fund balance has fallen to the point where we now have to borrow $10 million each year just to meet payroll. Unfortunately, the impact of this lack of fiscal responsibility puts our county at risk of losing services and jobs.
Once again, my primary goal is to help get our county financially back on track. We need the Board of Legislators as a whole to return to making financial stability a priority. Given the financial mess left by the current legislature, it will take time and tough decisions. Fortunately, there are many candidates this year who have financial training and experience.
Regardless of your party affiliation, I would appreciate your vote in November.
Joe Timmerman
District 10 Candidate, St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators
