Looking to trade places

Swinnerton to run for trustee seat, Gibson for mayor

WATKINS GLEN, Jan. 12 -- Watkins Glen Mayor Mark Swinnerton said the idea had come up days earlier, at a Friday social gathering with his wife Margaret and the Gibsons, Scott and Lisa.

Now, on Monday evening, in a conference room at Village Hall, he and Gibson -- a village trustee and the man Swinnerton appointed early in their first term, four years ago, as Deputy Mayor -- were explaining how they came to a decision to switch places in their next term, should they win in the March village election.

During that Friday evening gathering, said Swinnerton, Gibson "expressed a desire to be mayor." And with the seed planted, "it snowballed from there" to the point that they were announcing on Monday their intention to seek each other's governmental job in March -- with Swinnerton (a Republican) running for a trustee seat, and Gibson (an Independent) running for mayor.

Swinnerton says he's not worn down by the stresses of the mayoral job; quite the contrary. "I love being mayor," he said. "It's energizing." And he has filled the role with the blessing of his employer, Fahs Construction, headquartered in Binghamton. "They've been great, completely supportive," he said, of the time he has needed to devote to the post. "I'm lucky to have that support, and the support of my family."

His decision comes down to his working relationship with Gibson, who he said has been his "right-hand man" on a Village Board of "like-minded people" -- a board that he believes has achieved almost all of the campaign goals set out by Swinnerton, Gibson and trustee Kevin Smith four years ago. This time, though, they will be running without Smith, who recently became engaged and is either moving to Horseheads or spending an increasing amount of time outside of Watkins Glen. Accordingly, he will not seek re-election.

"He's going to be missed," said Gibson. "When he speaks, you want to listen. He puts a lot of thought into every issue." Since Smith conveyed his decision only recently, on Friday, neither Gibson nor Swinnerton knew who might try to fill that vacancy.

But back to the switch.

"Scott asked if he could move up to mayor," said Swinnerton, "and I have all the confidence in the world in his ability to do the job." Since the two are good friends and have a working rhythm developed over the past four years, "the transition would be as easy as could be. I'd like to see what he can do with the position."

"We've had a great run with this board," said Gibson, referring to himself, Swinnerton, Smith and trustees Paul Clifford and Tony Fraboni. "We were going over our campaign promises from four years ago, and they included reducing taxes, which we have by 4%, cutting spending, and completing our Comprehensive Plan," a blueprint for boosting the tourism economy. "We've accomplished probably 99% of what we wanted."

Transparency is another goal well met, said Swinnerton, pointing in particular to the video presentation of board meetings online. And the Code Red system for notifying residents of various occurrences -- be it pending storms, closed streets, missing persons or other exigencies -- has been what Swinnerton called "very useful and successful."

"We try to pragmatically look at things ," said Gibson, "and give people a fair shake. I think we try to have a friendly partnership with anyone expressing an opinion" that deviates from the board's. "We're proud of our work. Government should be for the people and by the people -- not the other way around."

More work lies ahead, they said, including attention paid to the village's old infrastructure, and to Project Seneca, which aims to see a joint Watkins Glen-Montour Falls wastewater treatment plant built along the canal, replacing Watkins' current plant on the southern shore of Seneca Lake. That project has "a few more small hurdles to go through," said Swinnerton, "but we have the support of the governor and the state Legislature, and of Congressman Tom Reed, and the municipalities involved are working together."

Gibson, an environmental engineer with the City of Ithaca for its Water and Sewer Division, and its Stormwater Management Officer, says he and the rest of the Village Board recognize the need to improve the village's century-old stormwater, sanitary and water-service infrastructure.

He also has "a couple of ideas" that he would like to see enacted should he be mayor -- a statement that drew a smile from Swinnerton and a verbal response: "With the board's approval," he said.

One of many things both men agree upon is the need for a renaissance of Clute Park, with the pavilion either "reinvented" or moved, and a Community Center in the lakeside park, leaving behind its current location across the street -- behind a trailer park on Cargill land. It is a building, said Gibson, that was never intended to be permanent.

"The only thing I would regret on the Community Center," he said, "is the roller skating. It's a staple of the community," although one that generates an average of "one lawsuit a year. I think the Community Center is important to Watkins Glen, although its days as a catering center are gone. The hotel has supplanted it in catering. But it could be moved to the waterfront."

Swinnerton said a meeting of the Village Board, the village Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals is set for Jan. 19 to discuss the future of the lakeside park. "It's a wonderful location," he said, adding that it is "under-utilized. It has been used in a similar format since the '40s. There can be some changes without it losing its appeal. The pavilion is no longer a dance center, and there's an old food shack. What are we doing with them?"

As they look ahead to the election, they are mindful too of the need to fill the pending opening in the Village Justice office, long held by the retiring Nick Dugo. Swinnerton plans to introduce to the Village Board at its next meeting a resolution which, in keeping with the rules of the New York Conference of Mayors, would permit candidates for the justice post from outside the village. He said that in any village with fewer than 3,000 inhabitants -- Watkins Glen has two-thirds of that -- a resolution can be passed to that effect, with the proviso that candidates live within Schuyler County.

"We haven't heard of any candidates" for the justice position, he said, "and this is the time of year when we should have." The position pays in excess of $13,000 per year.

Meanwhile, the main focus for Gibson and Swinnerton, beyond running the village government, will be on their own campaign. There is talk of the Democrats mounting a challenge, but Gibson says that's to be expected in partisan politics.

"If anyone is critical of our performance," he said, "I will be kind of surprised. But if so, we'll have to work on that."

"There's still lots for us to do," said Swinnerton, including first and foremost "moving Watkins Glen ahead while preserving the past. Project Seneca would help do that. We don't want an amusement park here, but something tasteful."

Project Seneca, formulated since Swinnerton and Gibson took office, can "provide an overwhelming environmental benefit," said Gibson.

"We have lots of irons in the fire," said Swinnerton. "And we thoroughly stand on our record."

Photos in text:

From top: Mark Swinnerton, left, and Scott Gibson standing in front of an aerial view of Watkins Glen; Mayor Swinnerton; and trustee/Deputy Mayor Gibson.