BY JOSH ALCORN
In America, elected officials and appointed bureaucrats are the backbone of our government. At the federal and state level, decisions are made that impact the lives of many, and thus receive most of the attention. However, it’s the hard work and dedication of local officials to improve their local municipalities that goes unnoticed, but is equally important.
One such example is none other than Mendon Town Supervisor John Moffitt.
Elected in November of 2009 (term beginning 2010), Moffitt works diligently to keep people as “informed as possible” on issues that will affect them.
“It’s rewarding to help people and encourage local business,” explained Moffitt. “However, the average person does not understand all the bureaucracy. Laws are made in Albany, but the implementation of them at the local level can be challenging. They typically have good intentions, but a lot of times forget about the local level”.
This careful balance between the state and the local government is one that is maintained by officials like Moffitt.
Moffitt also added that “the state can be helpful, as they will try to help local officials like me learn ways to implement mandates and laws”.
Moffitt also added that important mandates to understand as community members are the tax cap and the tax freeze, as they directly impact local residents’ lives.
In addition to keeping his constituents informed, Moffitt’s duties as Town Supervisor also include day to day office operations, in which he strives to “efficiently and effectively use tax dollars”. He also works with the Honeoye Falls-Lima Central School District to help facilitate Summer Recreation, which “provides a level of care to kids other than technology”.
Moffitt added that “holding public hearings is a key component of my job because I genuinely want to hear what people have to say, so I can make decisions based on input founded in genuine concerns”.
