Pictured l to r: President Cheri Krull, Republican Mayoral Candidate Dave Wilfong, and Assemblyman Andrew Goodell
Dave Wilfong was introduced by Andy Goodell. Mr. Wilfong is currently a county legislator. He is currently the chairmen of the human services and vice chairmen of the Public Service Committee. Since 1998, Wilfong has served at the Director of Maintenance for Intandem Solutions, formerly known as the Rehabilitation Center in Olean, New York. He has many years of supervisory experience, developing capital budgets and working within approved budgets, and directed the cost efficient maintenance of 23 agency sites. He also has a Building Construction Certificate and is a New York State Certified Building Inspector.
Originally from Jamestown and a veteran of the United States Army, Mr. Wilfong decided to run for mayor to give back to his community.
Originally from Jamestown and a veteran of the United States Army, Mr. Wilfong decided to run for mayor to give back to his community.
Issues:
- Annexation of the power plant in Falconer - Some city residents have been upset with the level of communication from City Hall. In a Wilfong administration, the city will be committed to open and transparent communication. Mr. Wilfong believes we need to come to the table together and collaborate with our partners in the community.
- Distressed properties in Jamestown – distressed properties continue to be a big issue in the City of Jamestown. Wilfong believes we need to design a permit system so City Hall can hold landlords accountable for the conditions of their properties.
- Opioid Addiction Problem – Wilfong believes in the city of Jamestown. If you need treatment, you should get it. If you need transitional housing, you should be able to secure that. Mr. Wilfong is also a strong proponent of law enforcement and believe their role is vital.
- CODE Enforcement – Mr. Wilfong believes we don’t need all the CODE enforcement officers we currently have. Wilfong believes the City should these positions per diem. The budget is very tight though so it would be hard to cut.
- Shared Services – Mr. Wilfong believes the City of Jamestown should look more to shared services with the county and other municipalities.
- Expand the Tax Base – 56% of tax revenues went to local non-profits; the City needs to invest more in the tax base and broaden it. Not against non-profits but feels we need to refine the tax base and come up with other ideas as well.
- City is not Business-Ready – Mr. Wilfong believes we do not have places for new businesses to locate. We need to have an aggressive plan to bring business back to the City. The City cannot wait for them to come here. It is important to have industrial and business sites that are shovel ready. There should be more communication between the City and the County’s Industrial Development Agency. The City needs to break down the walls between it and the community. Wilfong believes we cannot think of ourselves as an island. The focus should be to bring manufacturing back to the City of Jamestown.
- Emergency Services – Mr. Wilfong is 100% behind the City’s fire and police departments. He would like to see a private sector entity take over EMS type services and not see the Fire Dept need to respond to all EMS calls.
A host of questions ensued after Mr. Wilfong’s presentation.