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Republican candidate for Potsdam county board seat focuses on fiscal responsibility

Posted 10/10/20

POTSDAM -- The Republican contender for the St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators District 10 seat says fiscal responsibility and improving access to healthcare would be among her key focuses if …

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Republican candidate for Potsdam county board seat focuses on fiscal responsibility

Posted

POTSDAM -- The Republican contender for the St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators District 10 seat says fiscal responsibility and improving access to healthcare would be among her key focuses if she wins the seat.

Brenda Spurbeck of Potsdam is running for the seat as a Republican.

She is a nurse practitioner with 25 years in the healthcare field. She has worked around the United States, having moved here several years ago. She said she came to the North Country after a doctor she had worked with out of state came here and wanted her working with him at St. Lawrence Health System. She now practices out of the Lawrence Avenue pulmonary clinic in Potsdam. A Michigan native, Spurbeck’s educational background includes having earned a doctorate of nursing practice.

“Because I’m in healthcare, I really want to focus and spotlight healthcare in the North Country and focus on increasing access. I know we are medically underserved. I think we need to recognize that and always work towards improving access in healthcare,” she told North Country This Week.

“You have to know what you don’t know, and I know what I don’t know, and that’s key to success as a nurse practitioner in a world with a lot of medical providers, doctors,” she said. “Many people go on the assumption ‘fake it till you make it.’ You can’t do that with patient care … you have to acknowledge when you don’t know something.”

“I think that’s also important in public service. I don’t know all the answers … I will find out the answer and get back to you, and that’s ok,” she said.

She says she has also “served in leadership roles within the church, and volunteer mission work campaigns.”

With regard to the healthy fund balance the county has accumulated, she thinks the legislature should use caution when deciding whether or not to spend it.

She wants to have an “open mind and evaluate every situation that comes up where you have to spend some of that.”

“Especially in our current situation where you have pandemics and certain other unpredictable events that happen, it’s always good to have money in the bank for rainy days,” Spurbeck said. “We shouldn’t be spending more money than we bring in.”

“Certain legislators want to spend several million on a project and I’m not sure at this current time those projects are necessary at the moment. For sure in the future,” she said. “One of those issues is a particular bridge. It may serve around 200 people a day but it's a project that could cost $10 to $12 million … I’m all about maintaining roads and bridges, don’t get me wrong. There’s a time and place for everything.”

“You have to be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove, and I think that’s important when spending fund balance. You have to be careful,” the GOP candidate said.

With regard to the ongoing negotiations over the county’s sales tax distribution formula, Spurbeck said she isn’t intimately familiar with it, and feels her job is to make sure her district isn’t shortchanged.

“That is a topic I don’t have a full understanding and knowledge of. I know this is an issue,” she said. “Because I would represent the village of Potsdam I think it’s important to me to represent the Village of Potsdam and make sure we get our fair share.”

“I think it’s important to be fiscally responsible and recognize what our tax base can provide right now. I’m all about growing small biz to support … increase the tax base. I’m really encouraging … trying to get high school students into a trade or college,” she said. That will allow us to keep all our young people here, which can grow our tax base. That’s very important. If we can’t get them jobs here, they’re not going to stay here”

She also said she does not have any conflicts of interest that would preclude her from voting on any issues.

“I personally place a premium on personal integrity and will strive to serve the Potsdam constituents with honesty and transparency. I have no personal conflicts of interest and would be able to participate in any discussion and vote on any seat the county would need,” she said.

Her opponent for the seat is Margaret Haggard, a Democrat and the District 10 incumbent.

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