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Opinion: Colton Highway Superintendent supports Poste, Planty for town board

Posted 10/26/21

To the Editor: Campaign season is ending. I would like to take this opportunity to remind you all of the importance of voting in the upcoming election one week from today. Local elections typically …

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Opinion: Colton Highway Superintendent supports Poste, Planty for town board

Posted

To the Editor:

Campaign season is ending. I would like to take this opportunity to remind you all of the importance of voting in the upcoming election one week from today. Local elections typically draw very small turnouts of voters. This is very unfortunate as these local elections effect you as taxpayers and residents on a daily basis, from traveling the town’s highway system, to our transfer station, our library, our very popular BTI program or our town clerk’s office to obtain a hunting license or marriage license or whatever other service you may need. The success or regression of any of the departments is controlled by our town board.

During my tenure of your Town Highway Superintendent, my department has grown from depending on the county highway department to perform our paving projects to accomplishing this task with our own equipment and work force through a cost saving venture between our town and two others. We done the same thing jointly purchasing a screening plant for producing our winter road sand some 15 plus years ago. Sharing upfront purchase costs as well as yearly maintenance costs has saved every involved town lots of expense. None of these things were ever accomplished without good down to earth common sense leadership on the town board.

Having personally served under six supervisors and town boards I know the importance of a “common sense” working town board. Good things happen when the board works together. This year is unique, as we will be electing three new town board members as well as a new Town Supervisor. Please keep in mind when voting that you can vote for three council members. I personally look for good old fashion common sense in a town board member.

Jacob Poste is running for one of these seats. He grew up working for his father and grandfather at the well known J and S logging of South Colton, where honesty, hard work and impeccable machinery maintainer were all at the top of the list! He now owns and operates his own tractor-trailer hauling wood locally, and lives on Gulf Road with his wife Dani, and two school-aged children.

Randi Lee Cook Planty is also running for one of the seats. She has worked nearly 13 years for the post office, the first 7 years as clerk of the South Colton office. She and her husband Matthew have 5 school aged children and reside on Wildwood road.

I have always wanted to see some younger folks with school-aged children get involved with the town board and local decision-making.

I feel they will help my department and other departments advance with not only good mindful fiscal responsibility but also good common sense.

This will be the first time in my career that I am running unopposed. While I do have to admit, it is a very good feeling not having the worry of being out of a job. I still ask for your continued support in this election, as well as your potential support for both Jake and Randi-Lee. We can be found on row B on your ballot. Please vote Tuesday Nov 2nd at the Jr Watson Community center. Thank you.

Kevin S Hawley
Colton