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Ogdensburg City Council candidate profile: Jennifer Stevenson

Posted 10/20/19

BY JIMMY LAWTON North Country This Week OGDENSBURG – Ogdensburg Democrat Jennifer Stevenson wants increase the number of taxable properties in the city and get the city’s wastewater treatment …

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Ogdensburg City Council candidate profile: Jennifer Stevenson

Posted

BY JIMMY LAWTON

North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG – Ogdensburg Democrat Jennifer Stevenson wants increase the number of taxable properties in the city and get the city’s wastewater treatment project completed.

Stevenson said she helped secure funding for an elevator in the library, a new vehicle for the fire department, a boiler for the police department and various other programs. She said she worked to help bring the K-9 unit to the police force, has helped host assessment information meetings, helped with the city’s Neighborhood Watch program and is an advocate for tenants’ rights.

“I’ve been very proactive,” she said.

Stevenson says getting the WWTP project complete will unlock doors for economic development in the city.

“To me getting the wastewater treatment plant up and running and under construction is very important. Without that we can’t do future development in the city,” she said.

Stevenson offered praise for the city’s employees and department heads for their work in helping stabilize the budget, and the city planner for helping bring funding though grants.

“We really have some of the best employees out there,” she said.

Stevenson said she also travels a lot for business and takes every opportunity to advocate for the city. She said she always has her card with her and is always seeking to attract more people and businesses.

Stevenson said the while she supports the Project Labor Agreement for the WWTP, she think the city could have saved money by putting the bid out sooner.

“I think anytime you delay prices go up. That’s just the nature of things,” she said.

Stevenson said she also would have liked to see the city follow the charter’s “at-large” method for filling unexpired terms.

“I obviously would have wanted there to be no question at all about the ballot. Unfortunately with advice we received from attorney we can’t change it,” she said. “It’s just not a good situation.”

Stevenson says that while she believes the city must continue to make tough choices to grow the fund balance and keep taxes low, she believes a’ pledge to cut taxes by 25 % in one term is unrealistic.

However, Stevenson said the city is making financial progress.

“We’ve started to build back fund balance. We have started to anticipate larger expenses. We are looking at making the city leaner and meaner through staff reductions and that’s been happening regularly in the past few years, but in some departments further reductions would virtually wipe them out completely,” she said.