To the Editor:

My name is Jim Gibson, and I would like to announce my candidacy for Canton Highway Superintendent. I am a lifelong resident of the Town of Canton and a graduate of Hugh C. Williams High School with a certificate of mechanics from BOCES. I attended the annual school for highway superintendents this June, have been a small business owner in

Canton for many years and I believe I possess the qualifications necessary to be successful as Canton's Highway Superintendent.

My qualifications include 30 years of construction and contracting experience including commercial snow removal as well as sand/salt maintenance. I hold a Class A New York State driver's license and have over 30 years experience as a heavy equipment operator.

Small towns are faced with maintaining services despite reductions in their operating budgets. I believe it is important that the highway superintendent be qualified to go to work on site, drive the snowplows, run the equipment and trucks in order to provide coverage for employee absences.

Superintendents need to be qualified and willing and able to get their hands dirty with employees, while staying within the given budget, improving and maintaining road conditions, reducing inefficiencies, strengthening shared services relationships with neighboring departments, keeping safety a top priority as well as meeting the needs of the residents of Canton.

As a business owner I have to be responsive to the concerns of my customers, therefore I will welcome community comments and concerns and work diligently to address them.

I will be running on the Republican and Conservative line in the primary election on Sept. 12. Don’t forget to vote.

Jim Gibson

Canton