The following is a republished press release from Mike Sigler and NOT written by The Ithaca Voice. Click here to submit community announcements directly to The Voice, or email tips@ithacavoice.com.
(Lansing, April 28th ) – County Legislator Mike Sigler is announcing he’s running for reelection to the Tompkins County Legislature. “I’ve worked hard the past four years for the people of Lansing and I am a fierce advocate for the town. I’ve worked to keep the power plant on the tax rolls, keep taxes down, and defended the town against a group of folks calling themselves progressives, but who seem more committed to hobbling Lansing’s economy and tax base, negatively impacting our great schools and my constituents’ household budgets,” said Sigler.
“I always have the voters in mind when I’m considering a proposal or law change.” “My record shows I’ve been accessible and responsive and will fight for Lansing at every turn.”
Sigler says that while some list the problems Lansing faces, he’s been working on every single one:
*The tax rate has gone down every year I’ve been in office.
*I’m hoping to avoid a further jail expansion, but I believe we need a detox component to the jail. I voted to expand the jail by seven beds. That’s seven people who we’re holding temporarily who have better access to family and legal counsel, instead of being shipped off to another county.
- http://tompkinsweekly.com/news/2017/04/24/republican-view- jail-conversation- include-addiction-issue/3\
*I’ve been one of the most transparent elected officials in the county, meeting monthly with my town board, posting to Facebook and writing often on my positions to the local papers and web based news sources. You may not always agree with my position, but you know what it is and you should challenge me. I don’t pretend that I’m always right and I can change my position if you make a better argument.
*When the Affordable Care Act came to a vote, I voted to keep it in place until a better plan could be passed by Congress. I challenge the idea that the ACA is sustainable without changes. I’ll continue to advocate for people with pre-existing conditions and for lower premiums and deductibles.
*While some arrange meetings calling for delays in a new shaft at the Cargill mine, delays that would endanger Cargill miners and potentially close the mine, I supported the mine and voted for it to get tax incentives that will keep spending on the new shaft in New York State and increase the chances of it staying open. I did that with the risk of alienating some small business owners who I responded to in the Ithaca Journal.
- http://www.lansingstar.com/news-archive/13118- cargill-asks- for-tax- abatement-on- new-mine- shaft
- http://www.ithacajournal.com/story/opinion/2016/10/27/guest-viewpoint- cargill-got- tax-abatement/92849792/
*While progressives in Tompkins advocate for the shuttering of the power plant, I collected more than 1000 signatures and delivered them to the Governor, calling for the plant’s repowering, bought $1000 in radio time to promote the plant’s survival, and put up billboards with Ed Lavigne for Lansing residents to call the Governor to keep the plant open. I’ve been heavily involved in the pilot negotiations and continue to advocate for the plant’s repowering with natural gas.
- http://www.lansingstar.com/news-archive/11383- sigler-initiates- ad-campaign- to-support- repowering-cayuga-plant
- http://www.lansingstar.com/news-archive/10547- nyseg-requests- new-eight- month-repowering-extension
*While progressives at the county legislature voted to end all new gas infrastructure construction, I’ve fought alongside the Town and Village supervisors to end the moratorium on new Lansing gas connections. It puts us at a significant disadvantage to other towns and the city for business development.
- http://www.lansingstar.com/news-archive/12470- lansing-is- out-of- gas
- http://www.lansingstar.com/news-archive/13505- lansing-reps- say-extend- natural-gas- moratorium-county-wide
*I’ve worked with the Fingerlakes Land Trust to try and have NYS DEC buy the Bell station property and make it into a State Forest. A state forest is a more natural area and the town will continue to receive tax money from the land where with a state park, it would not. To date, the owner doesn’t want to sell, but that could change, and we’ll be prepared.
- http://www.lansingstar.com/news-archive/10394- lansing-state- forest-one- step-closer- but-anything-but-certain
*I’ve continued to vote against consolidation of the Ithaca Police Department and the Sheriff’s department. I see no benefit to the town of Lansing.
*I earned my pilot’s license at the Ithaca Airport and I am a tireless advocate for the airport and general aviation, showing up at every opportunity to lobby the state for airport upgrades and expansion and talking to Cornell about consolidating its travel booking so that Cornell and the county will have more negotiating power with the airlines. The airport is our link to the international community that we are very much a part of.
*I’m working with the state to make your roads safer, like the crosswalks at the school, to address the ditch issues both in flooding and depth along our state roads, and installing lights at dangerous intersections and I’ve been successful because of the cooperation of the county, town and state.
*Sigler served four years as Lansing’s representative from 2006 to 2010, but lost in his first reelection bid against Pat Pryor by a handful of votes. He came back four years later to beat Pryor and win his current term. He’s a single father who’s lived in Lansing for 14 years. He works fulltime at Park Outdoor Advertising, is a former journalist, and graduated from Northeastern University (BS ‘93) and Columbia University (MA ’96).
*In closing Sigler says, “I’m your partner in making Lansing better. I think we’ve done good work together for the past four years and I hope you’ll hire me to serve you for the next four.”