In the protracted process our editorial board underwent to reach our conclusion, we debated issues ranging from big picture leadership to nuts-and-bolts governing. It’s fair to say that the larger issues — who was the best fit for a city in need of transition; who could offer bolder leadership — went in favor of Rob Ortt, the city’s young Republican clerk-treasurer. The more tangible issues — incremental progress on a variety of fronts including development, property management and petty crime — went largely in favor of Democratic Mayor Larry Soos.
In the end, the bigger picture won us over, and we are endorsing Rob Ortt for mayor of North Tonawanda, though it was by no means an easy decision.
First, we should evaluate Mayor Soos’ four years in office. Major development projects like Remington Rand and Walmart have garnered the headlines, and rightly so. The mayor’s administration played its cards right and offered the steady leadership that will eventually see these projects go from the drafting board to reality.
In Soos’ time, crime has gone down on average — though pockets of the city are certainly getting worse. Roads look better than they have in recent memory thanks to a renewed focus from the mayor’s office on this nagging and irritating problem. The city has taken steps toward its first truly comprehensive property maintenance and building code enforcement strategy.
All of these reflect well on the mayor. All happened at least in part because of his leadership.
Furthermore, Larry Soos is the quintessential North Tonawanda guy. Every bit the Oliver Street tavernkeeper, Larry is a classic retail politician. He speaks from the gut and means what he says.
We would be remiss, however, if we didn’t discuss two of the things that have most disturbed us about his term: his bungling of the canal concerts and a misguided 2009 budget that very well could lead to a midyear deficit and no clear strategy to address it.
On the concerts, Larry’s shoot-from-the-hip style cost the city. Whether his infamous “take it to Wheatfield” remark actually perpetuated the departure of concert promoter Kathy Paradowski to Lockport is a subject of considerable debate to this day, but it was still something no mayor should say. He stands by the remark, a boorish attempt at resolve that comes off as more stubborn than anything. And the concerts have never been as good as they were before Paradowski left.
On this most recent budget, there are any number of revenue if-comes. If they don’t come, taxpayers will be left holding the bag.
Now we turn to Rob Ortt, a young but obviously talented individual.
Ortt brings with him a scant political resume — a single term in City Hall as treasurer, eventually converted into the dual role of clerk-treasurer. What he lacks in bragging rights he more than makes up for in potential.
He fairly well dazzled our editorial board during his interview when speaking of the larger systemic problems facing North Tonawanda. This is a city in great need of a leader who will bring a 21st century approach to government.
This city’s government was meant to function under a model that is now obsolete. Residents here have been trained to expect high-end services, but they’re paid for by an ever-shrinking tax base. It was refreshing to say the least to hear a politician say — unprompted — that residents of this city have put off tough decisions about the role of government for too long. It is this precise reasoning that earned Ortt our respect despite his outwardly thin credentials.
Ortt clearly has a grasp of the major issues of the day. It is our belief that an Ortt administration would pursue these larger questions of the future of North Tonawanda government.
The real question before voters on Tuesday is this: Do you want someone who knows how to play the game or do you want someone who can change it?
