BY JEFF CHUDZINSKI
North Country This Week

Businessman John Gennett, a Republican who lives in Brasher Falls, is running for a seat on the county legislature out of a sense of civic duty.

Gennett, who is running on the Republican ticket in November, is running in District 13 to replace Tony Arquiett who opted to not run for another term earlier this year.

The district encompasses the townships of Massena, Lawrence and Brasher.

Gennett currently works as an engineer for Corning in Canton. He said he wants to ensure fiscal responsibility at the county level to ensure services are not only maintained but expanded.

He also hopes the county can continue to improve on infrastructure, while lowering taxes for residents in the county.

“Being fiscally responsible is the number one issue. We have to make sure we’re investing in the right projects in a responsible manner and bolstering our infrastructure like our roads and broadband,” he said.

Gennett said improving the infrastructure is the best way to attract new businesses and ensure larger businesses stay in the North Country.

“We have the land, we have plenty of power and we have great people up here. There is so much opportunity to tap into,” he said.

Gennett is originally from a small town in Pennsylvania and said he has seen the effects when large businesses leave.

“We lost steel mills and there was literally nothing left, people left and small businesses closed,” he said.

Gennett also pointed to his education as a key component of what makes him a strong candidate.

“I have an MBA from Syracuse University. I know the ins and outs of business and why responsible oversight is necessary to ensure fiscal stability,” he said.

Prior to his work at Corning, Gennett was an officer in the Marine Corps. During his timing as a Marine, Gennett said he oversaw many large scale, taxpayer funded projects.

“We had government transparency on those projects, which is something we are not entirely used to honestly. But that’s what we need in the county, so that people know where their dollars are going, how much is being spent and just what is the project,” he said.

Gennett said it has been seen in recent years with a number of bridges receiving repairs across the county.

“I know it’s an inconvenience that the bridges may be closed for weeks, sometimes even months at a time. But if they fall apart it’s game over. We have to rebuild our roads and bridges and we have to ensure we have the resources available to maintain them during the winters,” he said.

Gennett said he also learned first hand just how difficult it is to find affordable housing in the North Country.

After moving to the area for his job at Corning, Gennett was forced to live at the Best Western in Canton for over two months before he was able to find a home.

“They were great at the Best Western, they took great care of me and I enjoyed my time there but it’s not sustainable. I learned how hard it is to find a home and just how limited we are for affordable housing,” he said.

If elected, Gennett said he wants to ensure affordable housing projects are a priority and programs that can assist individuals and families alike to find housing are properly funded.

According to Gennett, programs that assist veterans and individuals with disabilities are complex with “convoluted processes to go through.”

“We saw first hand how well these projects can turn out with the old Snell building in Potsdam. If we can retrofit old buildings like that it may be the best way forward,” he said.

Gennett said he will assist in securing additional funding to ensure projects like the Snell apartment building project can move forward in a timely manner.

“If we are able to lower taxes we won’t see people leaving the area like they are now. We’re taxed at absurd levels and when one person leaves it falls to everyone else to maintain the tax base, so more people keep leaving. I know taxes are necessary for public services but we need to find a better way to cover that spread,” he said.

When asked about the differences between himself and his opponent, Gennett said there are not many but the differences that do exist are big.

“We have a lot of similar ideas and support a lot of the same projects. I’m an outdoorsman, so the multi-use trail system is something I want to support. We’re both very community focused and want to see the North Country flourish. But what sets me apart is my background as an engineer, my education and business acumen and my experience overseeing large scale projects as an officer in the Marine Corps,” Gennett said.

Though he calls himself a financial conservative and is registered as a Republican, Gennett said he will work across the aisle on any potential legislation.

“I’m willing to work with anyone who has the people’s best interests in mind. I’m fiscally conservative on many things but I want to hear all sides before making any sort of decision,” he said.

Gennett said he chose to live in the North Country because of the charm of the area and the people who live here. It’s because of that charm that he chose to run for the county legislature.

“It’s always felt like home to me and I want to help make it a better place,” he said.