Opinion: Vote group of proven leaders for Canton seats, says Canton man

To the Editor:

On Nov. 2nd I urge you to voice approval of, and provide continuing support for the hard working, talented, and very successful Canton town and village leadership. The leadership group of both the town and village has accumulated a growing list of achievements which continue to improve the safety, security, sustainability, and the quality of our daily lives here in Canton.

Under the guidance of leaders like Mary Ann Ashley, Jim Smith, Martha Foley Smith, Dave Nelson, Klaus Proemm, and Beth Larrabee, this leadership group has proven itself fiscally responsible, ethically sound, and extremely capable.

Among their many accomplishments are:

A Riverside revitalization program which is just in its infancy. This plan will provide further public access to the Grasse River, create more riverside business opportunities, improve our hiking trails, and beautify our downtown river experience.

We’ve all witnessed infrastructure improvements which have made our streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. Our school kids are safer on their walks and rides to and from school.

The Solarize Canton project successfully provides renewable energy for our downtown area, and we have seen the addition of several electric vehicle charging stations.

This leadership group has also, for the first time since the late 1970’s, developed a Canton Comprehensive Plan. Through an innovative municipal collaboration with Rensselaer Falls, this plan, and all the other improvements these leaders have brought to fruition, puts us a step ahead and gives us a creative adaptive vision for Canton’s future.

With your vote on November 2nd I urge you to voice your appreciation for these successes, and more importantly express your resounding endorsement of their continuation and advancement.

I urge you to vote for Mary Ann Ashley for Town Supervisor, Jim Smith, Dave Nelson, and Martha Foley-Smith for Town Council, and Klaus Proemm and Beth Larrabee for Village Trustee. Re-elect this group of leaders who are working hard to keep Canton on a healthy, fiscally responsible, and sustainable path.

Rust Eddy
Canton