Our Platform

Danby Democratic Party Platform

Working Together for Danby

Addressing Fiscal Pressures

We are committed to using public funds in the most cost effective manner to pay for necessary services and obligations.

State and Federal grants help to reduce the reliance on property taxes. We expect our elected officials to pursue grants as well as all other means to keep taxes as low as possible.

Open and Consensus-Oriented Government

A democratic government is based on open communications between people and their elected representatives. We expect our elected officials to work toward a government that is both transparent and inclusive and that strives for genuine consensus when implementing change. We expect our elected officials to reach out, whenever and however possible, to communicate with residents to gain their understanding and involvement.

We believe more Danby residents should be encouraged to participate in the Town of Danby government decision-making process.

Protecting Your Quality of Life

Danby Residents value the character of our neighborhoods and the lifestyle made possible by our rural setting, with its abundance of wildlife and natural and historic beauty. Our elected officials should work to protect our environment, natural resources, and neighborhoods while encouraging compatible economic development.

Heavy industrial activities are inconsistent with the rural character, neighborhoods, and quality of life we envision and should not be permitted.

We believe in preserving our low-density residential zones and agricultural areas. Our elected officials should undertake a comprehensive review of Danby's zoning ordinance and subdivision regulations, working toward the preservation of viable low-density neighborhoods.

The apparent increase in weather extremes associated with climate change is a direct threat to our future. Our elected officials should work to make our infrastructure more robust in the face of challenges.

To reduce our contribution to climate-altering emissions, our local officials should work to reduce the carbon footprint within the Town of Danby by:

• promoting the use of mass transit, creating bike routes and bike lanes

• making the Town's buildings as energy efficient as possible, including the retrofitting of older homes

• favoring future housing development, where appropriate and favorable, in small-lot clusters

• promoting efforts to buy locally and eat more healthfully

• carefully developing of local alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, and biomass

By investing locally, we enhance our ability to adapt to change, both gradual and sudden. A resilient community is well-positioned to face the future, whatever it may bring.

Light pollution and noise pollution can have negative effects on the quality of life in Danby. One of Danby's biggest assets if the combination of proximity to a well-developed urban area and our own low visual and aural presence of urban development. We expect our elected officials to study these issues and create effective regulations to minimize these impacts.

Public Safety

We are committed to preparing Danby for emergencies and natural disasters. A workable disaster preparedness plan is becoming increasingly important. Our elected officials should work with Town, County, and State officials to develop and implement safety plans.

We are concerned about the increasing traffic volume and speed on our roads. Our elected officials should seek speed limit reduction where appropriate and encourage enforcement to ensure compliance.

We support our local Fire Departments and EMS squads as important elements of public safety and community. We encourage those who are able to participate as volunteers. We also encourage everyone with appropriate interest and/or experience to participate in the Fire District's administrative and policy-making efforts.

Promoting Community

The Finger Lakes Region, and Tompkins County in particular, attracts a wide variety of people. We value tolerance and diversity within our town and will work to promote a sense of inclusion in Democratic Party activities. We expect our elected officials to do the same for Town of Danby activities. We welcome the involvement of persons with diverse experience, views, and means of expression.

Danby's Town Hall is home to concerts, a community library, and cultural events for people of all ages. To promote Danby's sense of community, we will seek to maintain and expand the range of cultural, social, and recreational activities available to residents. We support the continuing efforts of the Danby Community Council, which has been responsible for providing many of these services and activities, and expect our elected officials to do the same.

We believe that the Danby Area News should be expanded to include more local news, especially given the diminished role being by independent media.

Small businesses promote the interactions that naturally foster a sense of community. We encourage small businesses in and near the central hamlets. We expect our elected officials to support responsible and common sense zoning to implement this.

We support development of a community center in the Danby Park.

We support the food pantry at the Danby Community Church.

We support our Town's participation in the Tompkins County Council of Governments.

We expect our elected officials to work diligently to preserve Danby's natural and architectural beauty and to preserve its historical heritage, thereby promoting and increasing pride in the Town of Danby.

We recognize that uniform, high-quality internet access is for many an indispensable tool for modern living. Danby's geography and rural character have made for-profit implementation of high-speed internet services difficult. We expect our elected officials to pursue any possible means of providing these services.