The position:
The Chemung County Legislature is comprised of 15 elected legislators representing the 15 legislative districts within the County. The legislature is the legislative, appropriating, and policy determining body of the County.
District area: Chemung County Legislature District 5 covers parts of the towns of Horseheads and Veteran
Term & salary: Four years, term limits
Each candidate was asked to limit answers to 100 to 150 words. WSKG cut answers at the 150 mark. If you would like more details about a candidate’s answer to a question, their contact information is provided in this Voter Guide.
___________________________________________________________________
Candidate: Ed Bond
What is the most pressing issue facing Chemung County and Legislative District 5?
“We should focus on helping more residents of Chemung County start their own small businesses and help those already in business to survive.”
Party affiliation: Democratic, Middle Party
Campaign Contact Information: edwardbondny@gmail.com; 607-857-2104
District Resident: “Yes.”
WSKG Q&A:
How important is the working relationship between the county legislature and the county executive? What will you do to address conflict and keep the county residents informed of progress or challenges in the county and Legislative District 5?
The current executive has blocked and bypassed the legislature in many ways, to the point that county department heads are not allowed to talk to legislators. This makes no sense to me. Legislators need to have complete information so that they can make the best choices when they vote. Otherwise they are voting in the dark. At the very least, the executive and department heads should routinely appear at legislature meetings to explain the resolutions being voted on. I often wonder if someday the Chemung County would be better served with a county manager system.
As to informing the public, a primary job of any legislator is to make sure the residents of their district know what the government is going to do before they do it. Give people a chance to have input, keep open the lines of communication. This could be done with a variety of methods such…[WSKG Note: Candidate answer exceeded the 150 word limit]
What actions should the county take to mitigate the cost of state mandated programs that are not reimbursable and passed on to the taxpayers?
This is a good reason to support the passage of the New York Health Act. This bill, perpetually stalled in committee for decades, would create a simplified, streamlined health care system. Rather than going through a profit-driven system bloated with corporate bureaucracy, residents would pay a much smaller amount based on income. For example, a self-employed worker making $62,400 a year could pay only $214 a month, as opposed to the thousands of dollars we all pay each year in co-payments and deductibles. This would not only save the county on health insurance for its employees, but it will significantly cut down the $24 million a year the county is paying in Medicaid, the single biggest part of the unfunded mandate.
What role, if any, should the county play in appointments to the Chemung County Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) board and public information regarding business opportunities and contracts in the county through the CCIDA? How will you maintain transparency at the CCIDA? What are projects spearheaded by the CCIDA that should be kept from the public?
What I would do is ask that the IDA make a presentation to the legislature on how their efforts have been going to date. We havedata from the NY State Comptroller’s office from 2024 on Chemung County’s 49 active projects. These companies are given generous tax-incentives to bring jobs to the community, and the public deserves to scrutinize the success of these deals since they impact our tax burden.
Some challenges and questions we are facing:
- There are 106 other active IDAs in this state and Chemung County is competing with all of them. What advantage sets us apart from the rest? If we don’t have one, how do we create one?
- Are we getting the best bang for our buck by drawing the types of companies that create the jobs we need?
- Are we sure that an IDA deal was the only way a project…[WSKG Note: Candidate answer exceeded the 150 word limit]
How will you build and maintain businesses in the county and Legislative District?
We need to help people who already live here and love the area to start their own businesses. They already have the incentive to grow, hire workers and stay. I started my small business in 2019 with the help of an agency called Incubatorworks, which has since been brought into Chemung County to run an entrepreneurship center in Elmira. Full disclosure, I work part-time on an as-needed basis as IW’s makerspace coordinator and also assist in giving business presentations. IW helps aspiring business owners get started, guiding them around all the classic traps and pitfalls, teaching them about finances, product development, legal obligations, marketing, customer discovery, etc. I think this is key to turning things around in Chemung County. Let people pursue their dreams and create their own opportunities. Entrepreneurs become small businesses, which become bigger businesses and possibly large businesses. We may help create the next big thing. So,…[WSKG Note: Candidate answer exceeded the 150 word limit]
What role do Flock-type cameras, AI-powered license plate readers and automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) play in public safety in Chemung County and what is the overlap, if any, with citizen privacy rights? Do you support the county’s current use of Flock-type cameras, AI-powered license plate readers and ALPRs and any expansion of such devices in the future?
The Elmira Police Department has Flock cameras, but the Chemung County Sheriff’s Department does not. As I understand it, they have a couple of pole cameras, used on a temporary basis for critical incidents. If the sheriff’s department were to consider Flock-type cameras, I would have issues and questions.
- How long of an agreement would we have with the company?
- Do the companies that provide the cameras own the data?
- How do we ensure the data is not being exported to outside agencies or groups?
- How can this data be misused? What safeguards can be put in place to ensure our right to privacy and the right to not be stalked?
- How reliable is this technology for identifying people for arrest?
- Do the law enforcement agencies have the training to double-check the information to make sure the technology has not identified the wrong person.…[WSKG Note: Candidate answer exceeded the 150 word limit]
What is your tax policy for the county and how will you implement the policy while maintaining services to residents in your district?
If we really want to lower taxes for residents, we need to work harder on creating shared services between the county and the municipalities, especially Elmira. Years ago, there had been a joint county-city committee formed with the idea of finding ways to cooperate and save each other on costs. That committee was killed by the county executive. I think it’s time to bring it back. There are still some shared services agreements between the county and Elmira, but we can do better than this. So, one of my first actions would be to request that this committee be reestablished.
What is the most pressing public health issue facing Chemung County residents today?
Poverty. It’s the 4th leading cause of death in this country. We have a high poverty / homelessness rate for a county of our size. Poverty impacts every part of a person’s life. Not getting the right nutrition or amount of food leads to severe health issues, not having access to health care leads to worsening health problems. The county helped with part of this recently with the establishment of a federally qualified health center in Elmira that will offer care to any resident no matter their health insurance status or even if they are homeless. But there is more work to be done. Improving transportation so that people can get to their medical appointments are key. We need to make it easier for the elderly to get the services that they need. Their costs keep going up and their ability to reach help are going down. This all impacts our…[WSKG Note: Candidate answer exceeded the 150 word limit]
Neighboring Steuben County placed a six-month moratorium on new permits for sewage sludge spreading on farms, crops, and land. It has been shown to contain pollutants like PFAS forever chemicals that are toxic to people and wildlife. How does Chemung County review its biosolids use policy/s and place regulations on public/private permits for the use of municipal sludge on farms, crops and land in the county? Should there be more regulation or deregulation on this topic for the county?
According to a Water Quality Strategy Plan from the 1990s which is on the Chemung County website, sewage sludge is sent to the Chemung County Landfill.
In any case, if toxic chemicals are found to be leaking into the environment, from either the county landfill, a local farm or business, we would need to take immediate steps to stop further damage to the environment and take steps to make sure the contamination does not continue. That may require the involvement of state and federal agencies. When I was a reporter, I wrote about how Bloomington, IN, had been devastated by the contamination of PCBs coming from the landfill. I will never forget interviewing the residents who suffered long-term, debilitating health issues and meeting the widows of those who slowly died of cancer and other diseases.
Rural hospitals are at risk of discontinuing services and/or closing. Guthrie and Centralus Health are among those with longstanding operations and facilities in the county. These health care providers are some of the largest employers in the county. How will you ensure the county maintains access to health care, senior care and nursing facilities as counties face staggering funding losses due to the OBBBA?
The county made the right move by bringing in an FQHC to Elmira. This is a positive example of federal money being used to provide health care. However, the federal government as a whole has failed us. The cuts to health care and throwing people off health insurance only assures that more Americans will die. The county is already obligated to pay millions in social services such as Medicaid, and I don’t know how we would make up for all the shortfalls that are being created. Health care should be considered a right and a public service.
I look at it this way. There are needs in our lives that we cannot manage without working collectively. If my house catches fire, I do not have the means to put the fire out myself. That’s why we collectively support each other to have local fire departments. If I get cancer, I[WSKG Note: Candidate answer exceeded the 150 word limit]
How would you address housing demand vs. supply in Chemung County and Legislative District 5? What are ways the state and county can serve vulnerable populations affected by homelessness and unscrupulous landlords?
Passing laws against being homeless does not solve the problem. If homelessness is to be resolved, it will require everybody working together, in the same direction to deal with the wide variety of causes. Providing shelter is only one piece of the puzzle. Mental health, addiction, the costs of health care and a lack of opportunities are other factors. In some cases, the person being helped may not be ready to be in housing. They need to learn the skills and outlook that will keep them sheltered. Some cases will be more intractable than others. We may not be able to save everyone, but we will save more if we try. As a journalist, I have interviewed many homeless/former homeless and lived on the streets to see what it was like. Some observations:
- Many homeless try their best to not be noticed. For example, they live out of [WSKG Note: Candidate answer exceeded the 150 word limit]
__________________________________
Candidate: Nicole Elston
Party affiliation: Republican, Conservative
Campaign Contact Information: elston.n.m@gmail.com
Nicole Elston did not respond to the WSKG Voter Guide questionnaire.
WSKG Q&A:
How important is the working relationship between the county legislature and the county executive? What will you do to address conflict and keep the county residents informed of progress or challenges in the county and Legislative District 5?
What actions should the county take to mitigate the cost of state mandated programs that are not reimbursable and passed on to the taxpayers?
What role, if any, should the county play in appointments to the Chemung County Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) board and public information regarding business opportunities and contracts in the county through the CCIDA? How will you maintain transparency at the CCIDA? What are projects spearheaded by the CCIDA that should be kept from the public?
How will you build and maintain businesses in the county and Legislative District?
What role do Flock-type cameras, AI-powered license plate readers and automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) play in public safety in Chemung County and what is the overlap, if any, with citizen privacy rights? Do you support the county’s current use of Flock-type cameras, AI-powered license plate readers and ALPRs and any expansion of such devices in the future?
What is your tax policy for the county and how will you implement the policy while maintaining services to residents in your district?
What is the most pressing public health issue facing Chemung County residents today?
Neighboring Steuben County placed a six-month moratorium on new permits for sewage sludge spreading on farms, crops, and land. It has been shown to contain pollutants like PFAS forever chemicals that are toxic to people and wildlife. How does Chemung County review its biosolids use policy/s and place regulations on public/private permits for the use of municipal sludge on farms, crops and land in the county? Should there be more regulation or deregulation on this topic for the county?
Rural hospitals are at risk of discontinuing services and/or closing. Guthrie and Centralus Health are among those with longstanding operations and facilities in the county. These health care providers are some of the largest employers in the county. How will you ensure the county maintains access to health care, senior care and nursing facilities as counties face staggering funding losses due to the OBBBA?
How would you address housing demand vs. supply in Chemung County and Legislative District 5? What are ways the state and county can serve vulnerable populations affected by homelessness and unscrupulous landlords?