MASSENA -- A Massena man running for a seat on the Village Board of Trustees to make meaningful, lasting change.
David Broadbent has lived in the Massena School District for 30 years, living in …
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MASSENA -- A Massena man running for a seat on the Village Board of Trustees to make meaningful, lasting change.
David Broadbent has lived in the Massena School District for 30 years, living in the village for the last 22 years with his wife of 43 years.
He said he is also very involved in his local church community and leads a men's group in the church. In his spare time he enjoys reading and woodworking.
He said he decided to get involved in politics about five years ago out of a desire to do something good for the community.
"I have been involved locally in the political scene for the last 5 years. I believe at times we can get cynical and complain about the way things are done in our local government, so instead of complaining I decided to get involved. I believe I can have a positive voice for the people of our village" he said.
Broadbent said he is a great listener who is adaptable as well.
He demonstrated that adaptability through his professional life, spending 22 years in dairy manufacturing until the North Lawrence plant closed in 2011.
Shortly afterward he spent the next five years working at Remington Arms in Ilion, NY traveling during the week and coming home on weekends.
Broadbent then worked at Alcoa for 10 months, working for a temp agency before finishing his professional career at the Healthy Way in Massena. He retired last year after five years with the company.
Broadbent said he has a willingness to learn and grow that will serve the people of Massena well if he were elected.
"I believe one of the skills I possess is a willingness to learn and grow. Being a trustee there will be a learning curve that I am willing to embark on. I also have a can-do attitude. I'm one who is willing to roll up my sleeves and say, 'Let's go.' I have a strong work ethic, and I am an optimist by nature. I think I am objective as well, being able to listen to opposing ideas and work together to get the job done," he said.
Broadbent said one of his primary focuses will be to address housing issues in the village, in particular blighted properties.
"The code enforcement officer here in Massena has one of the toughest jobs in the village. Many vacant buildings and landlord issues are one of the concerns I have. This is as well as the increasing number of homeless people in our community. Finding a safe place for the homeless is critical. Making Massena attractive so businesses will want to be here is key to our growth. I believe we are on track for that to happen and I would like to support that effort," he said.
Broadbent said those issues are complex and can be costly but he is committed to ensuring that taxes do not rise out of control as the village handles blighted properties.
"Addressing these issues is complex. Money is the key to solving some of these issues, but doing so without raising taxes is tough but critical. There are state grants for Community Renewal. With a good vision we can get the help we need to start to fix some of these issues. Also working with our local community is important. There is a lot of gold in the minds and hearts of our people here in Massena. Let's hear them as well," he said.
He said he "has a heart for Masssena" and wants to see the village succeed and grow.
"I desire to see it prosper and grow. I believe we have all we need here to make that happen, and I'm willing to work hard to assist in our progress as a community," he said.