BY JEFF CHUDZINSKI 

North Country This Week

MASSENA — Former Massena Hospital Chief Financial Officer Pat Facteau is one of three candidates vying for two open seats on the town council.

Following his retirement in Nov. 2020 after 46 years in healthcare, 42 as CFO, Facteau said he “needed a rest”.

“I enjoyed myself this summer, I golfed a lot. Now it’s time to get back to work, to do something again,” he said.

Facteau admits that the position will have it’s fair share of challenges, but says he is ready to jump in.

“I want to help, I want to be a part of the solution. My strong financial and management skills can play a role in helping Massena continue to move forward,” he said.

One of the biggest challenges is bringing jobs and employees back to the area, he said.

“We need to create jobs that are worth coming back to the area for. Massena has lost a number of good jobs that paid well and offered great benefits. We need to create an environment for job growth and retention so young people will come back to the area,” he said.

Facteau noted recent reports from the Business Development Corporation that showed at least 28 new businesses started during the pandemic, with a total investment near $3 million in the downtown alone.

“Obviously small, local businesses and micro-enterprise businesses will play a huge role in job creation, but we need to do more to encourage their growth. We need to redevelop. Massena has a lot of land. We need to take advantage of that and the cheap electric available,” he said.

A common sense approach to governance and job creation is key, he said.

“We need a long term strategic approach, so we can plan three years, five, ten years out. We need to chart our progress and assess as we go to make sure we’re on track. I think that will be key to getting everyone on board,” he said.

Working with the village is also important to Facteau, he said.

“We need to have a solid, strategic plan that allows us to work well with the village as well. That’s probably what is most important, having those lines of communication with the village. I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or Republican, I’m here to listen and work with everyone. That’s the only way we can make real progress for the people of Massena,” he said.