Cathy Worthington has been a taxpayer in the town of Stafford for 24 years.
She says her dealings with the Town of Stafford lack transparency and communication.
“It’s terrible,” says Worthington.
This past June she became fed up with the lack of response she received from the Stafford Town Board with regards to Water District 12 that will bring public water to her road. She says the last written correspondence she received from the Town of Stafford about Water District 12 was in January 2018. In that letter, Worthington was told her taxes would go up between $700-$900 as a result of the new water district.
“Now I’m being told its more like $1,000-$1,100, and I still don’t know how many units I am going to have to pay for, one or two,” says Worthington. One unit is for her home, and another for a piece of land.
“I want answers, I want communication , I want transparency.”
She attended a Town Board meeting in June to get an update on Water District 12, she says that is what made her throw her hat in the ring as a Write-In Candidate for Stafford Town Board, running against incumbents Ronald Panek and James Duyssen on November 2, 2021.
“I was told we were in a large water district and it was a process and it was going to take some time, that’s all I got out of the meeting. Last year, I attended a meeting and they said the same thing, its a process and its going to be a few years. So I did some research. So finally, Town Supervisor Robert Clement gave me a piece of paper that showed me where they were in the process. Well they were supposed to go out to bid on June 25th, I don’t know if its out to bid or not, I have not heard.”
Worthington says she is trying to budget for her future. So Worthington contacted the engineers of the job to get the specs.
“The Town didn’t have them to give me, but the engineer did. So they are not forthcoming with sharing information.”
Worthington says she now plans to share her information with all 75 residents in Water District 12, and will also ask the residents to start attending town board meetings in the future.
“I noticed after reading the past minutes from meetings that they seem to table a lot of things. month after month after month, and I don’t get it for what they get paid, over $400 per meeting, and we get nothing.”
The last time there was a choice in an election for Stafford Town Board was in 2017, when Democratic challenger Jacqueline Cavanaugh ran against Ronald Panek and Robert Mattice. Both Panek and Mattice were running under the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines according to the Genesee County Board of Elections. In this year’s Town Board election process, Panek and James Duyssen are running under the Republican line.
“I want to let voters of Stafford know they have a choice for Town Board other than the two who are running this year,” says Worthington.
Worthington says she is offering the people of Stafford communication, accountability, transparency, and honesty.
“It seems like its a little good ole boys club, the same people, the same families, the same names and I’m okay with that if you are doing your job, but when I can’t get answers and its frustrating as a taxpayer it terrifying. I want to offer people communication. I think the Town of Stafford deserves a Facebook page. They had one for a while, but it was voted down and shutdown. Mr. Panek said they didn’t want a Town of Stafford Facebook page because it was interactive and they didn’t need it to be interactive, people can go to the website. C’mon, this is 2021, social media, that’s how you get out to your people to let them know what is going on, that’s a little crazy they shot that down and made them shut it off.”
Worthington announced her run for Town Board today at the Genesee County Conservative Party’s NYS Chair visit in LeRoy at Capish Pizza Ristorante. She says she is planning a Meet and Greet on Wednesday August 4, 2021 at Emery Park on Main street in Stafford from 4-7p.m.
Link to Cathy Worthington’s Facebook page below.
(9) Elect Write-In Candidate Cathy Worthington for Stafford Town Board | Facebook
It appears that this is a “one issue” candidate. Mrs. Worthington claims that this is a good ole boys club? She doesn’t remember that we have had at least 3 other “women” on our Town Board. For whatever reason, they did not stay long……… Personally, I feel that “transparency” is a go-to word. Her claim regarding the COST for the Water District 12 was $700-$900 in ….2018 and the quote she received is now $1,000.- $1,100.? Uh, cost of living has gone up, Cathy!!! It would have been nice if you had joined me at the Town Board meetings for all those years that I have been attending. There is always an opportunity to run for Town Council…where were you? Will you be available to attend all Board meetings? Btw, sometimes it gets a little boring. See you there.