To The Editor:
I received Mark Holliday’s, nee Aldasch, pamphlet the other day and noticed some lies right off the bat.
He starts out saying because the City of Fulton is considered “moderately fiscally stressed” we are bankrupt. That’s a lie. The city is not bankrupt. The fact is we improved our fiscal condition last year over the previous year.
Holliday said “our elected official’s (sic) only solution to the loss of jobs is to increase spending and increase taxes. Another lie. Over the past four years we have had only one small tax increase which was two years ago.
The two years prior to that there was no tax increase and last year we even had a slight tax decrease. The administration is currently working hard to have a zero tax rate for next year.
He talks about “anti-business legislation…..doesn’t create jobs, it kills jobs.”
I’d like to know what legislation we have passed that has been anti-business. If that’s the case then why did Aldi, AT&T, Auto Zone, Sammy’s Market, Oswego County Credit Union, Sweet Cindy’s Gluten Free Bakery, Domino’s and others decide to do business in Fulton?
Holliday claimed that the elderly are losing their homes, another lie.
I checked on the properties on which the city has foreclosed and I don’t recall any of them being the elderly.
The fact is when I was on the council before I proposed, and the council passed, legislation that would enact a sliding scale for senior citizens based on income so seniors with lower income would get a reduced assessment thus paying less in taxes.
In his plan to rebuild and revitalize Fulton, #6 is “…create a first time home buyer program.”
The truth is Fulton has had a first time home buyer program since 1995 and we have served more than 125 families with a less than 1% foreclosure rate.
I really wish politicians would check the facts before making their claims public.
Unfortunately too many people would believe it if the truth hadn’t come out.
Jim Myers – Fourth Ward Councilor
City of Fulton
Discover more from Oswego County Today
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Good fact checking Jim.
Thank you Jim. Well done.
I think 89 elderly people lost homes when Michaud closed. Those people did live there and that was their home. Dominos has been here forever they just moved. I do not know much about budgets or tax increases or decreases, but I do know that the taxes in Fulton are outrageous. There are no parks or pools, the lake clean up is stalled. We have a burnt eyesore the minute you enter Fulton from 481 south. I have always called Fulton my home and I try to tell my children what it used to be. Our softball program at recreation park is no where what it used to be, they can not even find enough teams to play. No snack bar because the city wants to much money to operate it. The list just goes on and on. Fulton consists of dollar stores and pizza shops and traffic alot of traffic of people trying to get through it. Rant over!
The subject of the elderly losing their homes dealt with private homes and taxes. The 89 people at Michaud were relocated, not thrown out on the street. Plus Michaud didn’t pay taxes because they were tax exempt.
It’s true Domino’s did move. They moved into a new building which now adds to the tax rolls.
There are no parks? We have 14 parks and 10 playgrounds. Most of the parks and playgrounds have been or will be improved thanks to the parks and rec dept., Kelley Weaver and Friends of Fulton Parks and grants that were obtained.
The softball program has slowed down because of less interest, not anything the city could have done. We can’t make people play softball.
You say the taxes are outrageous but you also complain we don’t have pools. If we replaced the westside pool and repaired the eastside pool the city would have to spend approximately $750,000. If we did that we would still have to spend $75,000-$100,000/year to maintain and staff them. Do you want that added to your taxes?
Saying the lake cleanup is stalled is simply a lie. We have been dredging the lake since Senator Ritchie helped us get a dredger, about 4 years ago I believe.
As for the burnt eyesore, you really lost me there. Are you saying that was the city’s fault? We are trying to get the owner, meaning their insurance company, to settle the claim so it can be torn down.
Feel free to rant if you wish and I’ll be happy to get the facts out.
Jim Myers
Well said Missy. If Richie can come up with a new fire truck to go back and forth to grocery store or the canoe launch on lake cess pool . I’m sure myers and her can fix our pool. I see fastenal has left Fulton for Oswego. Why is old motel sitting there. Parks department is out planting trees next to the woods . new trees next to cess pool where the water is harmful . I’ll bet it cost thousands to take trucks to Walmart to shop. Look at the eye sore across from save a lot. Empty building at seven eleven. Empty buildings on Broadway. Shopping plaza behind empty nursing home. Ford dealership gone. Old laundry mat next to chinese take out. It goes on and on Mr. Myers. Are we wrong
With whom might I be discussing this?
Lived here all my life. Fulton is a mess. We went to bat for property taxes a few years ago. Things changed a little in assessments. We are well connected and are very concerned.
Jim Meyers, I couldn’t agree with you and Mr. Castiglia any more than I do. You work with what you have and try to get more. Some think you just push a button and out comes everything you need!!! The county is always trying to build “Taj Mahalls”that we don’t need or want. The Republican Run County that spends and taxes! We don’t need that here in Fulton. The county already raised tipping fees, what next? I think Mayor Ron Woodward and the City Council are doing all they can with what we have.
Thank you Mr. Crook.
We agree with some your rant. The mayor only has one thing on his agenda. A new grocery store with part time employees who have to stay on the welfare system. The city is broke and he wants to build a museum about nestle. Lmao. Merlino and myers are just puppets. We asked merlino what his plans are for old holly drive motel. …and no response from him.
Interesting argument about “shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic.” Fulton has seen better days. They’re not coming back without attracting businesses that create jobs and tax revenues. Minimum wage jobs at Aldi are better than nothing, but not much better.
Fulton has 14 parks?
Fulton has 10 playgrounds?
I know of 4th Street park where you can go enjoy dirty needles and lots of dog poop …
I know of Recreation park (still called this?) buy the high school where you can find lots of goose (and some dog) poop …
I know of the CV Abbott park (aka the plastic park) where there is no shade …
I know of Foster park where as recently as Sunday 10/29/17 it was reported that there was a stabbing there …
I know of Van Buren park where there are tennis courts …
And recently I learned of a park on Cayuga Street …
I am unsure where the other 8 are …
And are these playgrounds included in the parks or are there 10 different ones? …
There will always be back and forth between residents and local government on the issues mentioned. The fact of the matter is that the city doesn’t have the industry it once had and the residents have been the ones the bear the burden. Someone in government should show us where our tax money really goes, beingbone of the highest in New York state. We don’t see it, and giving the same old story, song and dance doesn’t cut it anymore.
I asked merlino about old motel and pool. Still no response. I asked about the dredge. No response. I asked how much it cost a year to drive firetrucks to grocery store. No response. Mayor must be proud of them. Jim Meyers has no answer .
I dont know that Mr. Merlino can answer many of the questions posed here on this thread. Election day has not happened yet. Its true Fulton has taken many hits in the last 20+ years w/ industry leaving town. And yes, there are many eye sores as with most cities these days. Very sad. So we can either continue to complain and focus on everything wrong, or we can volunteer to help. Fulton Block Builders is a tremendous start. The Nestles buildings are gone / going to be gone soon . We have a college in town (outskirts) that is giving our residents and high school graduates a chance at higher education. I would guess there is room in Fulton’s budget to re-direct resources for us to get a bigger bang for our buck. Then again, maybe not. But if we volunteer more would it make a difference? If a community leader were to knock on your door to ask for a commitment to go out into the community and help clean up / tear down / mow the lawn / paint / be a gopher etc etc would you? We certainly look to our leaders to solve all of today’s issues. Maybe we should all do a little more, myself included.
Well maybe merlino can’t. He must have a thought on motel. He posted the picture for campaign. I’m sure myers could answer the questions. So let’s here some answers from the council.
Some people talk, and some people do.
Some people complain, and some people step up and take action.
Some people make problems, and some people solve problems.
There are some real concerns expressed here.
Michaud going broke and closing was heartbreaking. These were people’s homes and people’s lives. These were friendships and families torn apart. Truly heartbreaking. I wish Michaud ran their business better to stay in business. No one should have to go through that sort of upheaval of their lives. That was bad business decisions, and I am furious that their bad decisions were so painful to our people.
As for the pool….I purchased my house 1 1/2 blocks away from the East Side Pool. I have been a swimmer all my life. A pool near by was a great part of my decision to locate where I did. The pool and Fairgrieve Elementary. I wanted my children to learn to swim and enjoy the fun of the pool in summer, and I wanted them to get their education at Fairgrieve, a great school.
Then the city went bust. Everything closed all at once. Again, heartbreaking. And the East Side Pool was kept open as long as possible. I was very vocal, along with Frank Castiglia, that we should pursue grants to keep it open. We fought hard, but the pool did close. And yes, Jim Myers, your numbers are correct. It will take a fortune to reopen the pool.
Now, if you elect me to City Council, I would have to decide whether to spend that money on repairing and reopening the pool, or whether to put that money toward fixing our roads and sidewalks. To me, the pool is symbolic of our last stand of what was, and it’s painful to let go of the Fulton we all knew. But we need to fix our roads and sidewalks as a step toward the Fulton that will be.
And don’t worry, even though you haven’t elected me yet, I am working with members of City Council to create water attractions in local parks throughout the City. At much lower initial cost, and much lower operating cost than trying to salvage the old pool.
We have terrible problems. And we need solutions. I listen to what you have to say about our problems. Now my job as your City Councilor will be listen to you, and find new, affordable, positive solutions that will make life better for residents, and that will make Fulton stand out as an attraction to visitors and new residents, and will also increase traffic at existing businesses while attracting new business.
My job, as your City Councilor will be to create an upward spiral in Fulton. We did it in Pittsburgh. I was there when every steel mill in “Steel City” closed. We became one of the most depressed cities in America. But we created an upward spiral there, and look at it. Pittsburgh was reinvented into one of the most desirable cities in America. We can do that here. We can create an upward spiral, and make Fulton into a highly desirable city, too. We can do this.
That was one question answered. What about cost of our fire trucks going to grocery store. I work twelve hours aday in Syracuse. No jobs in Fulton. The company doesn’t let us use trucks for groceries. What does it cost to run dredge everyday. Where is dredge.
What is this guy talking about. There are signs stating …stay out of water and don’t let your pets
in the water. Its a proven fact we will never swim in it. But he is working on water attractions throughout our parks. They should have a sale on canoe launch that no uses.
really meyers,youhave to be kidding me,YOU say the lake has not stopped dredging,well i think maybe you need to stand up on a ladder becouse there has been NO dredging on the sess pool lake in over a year,just another lie from another politicion,i was once proud to say this is home,but now i call it mayberry,as long as you guys have your retirement package set up ,then the rest goes down in history,good thing i cant speak the way i talk,you all know i have a way wiyh words,i swear alot,can you blame me,with vet.day coming up,you ever do any thing for the unknown soldier?NO,oh yea how many city officals served?i cant wait to hear from jim meyers ,what his story is on the lake,2 fire dept,they do a great job,but really we need 2,they sweep up glass after an accident, not at the cost of 3 fire trucks and all the personnall to operate it,you guys are killing me,ill stay warm and not worry any more ,port orange fl.has a very large tax base and they love there people,not the peoples money,and as far as nursing home,maybe you guys should go for a short stay,cause most of us think you guys have old timers ,
The most important thing people are forgetting is that Aldasch/Holliday is running for county legislator, not city council. County legislators deal with issues of countywide interest. They do not micromanage local governments.
Aldasch/Holliday can’t do most of what he claims because it doesn’t fall within the county’s jurisdiction. They do what benefits all county residents, not only their constituents.
The county legislature does not have pork money to give to local municipalities. If you aren’t sure what they can do, I urge you to visit the county’s website. Legislators oversee such things as DSS, the transfer stations, the health department, and county roads.
Aldasch/Holliday said he wants to fix family court. Good luck with that as the county has nothing to do with the courts. He also said he wanted Fulton police to be involved with the county drug task force. He isn’t even aware that the county drug task force is comprised of members of the two city police departments, Sheriff’s department and the DA’s office.
Whenever someone writes something on Aldasch/Holliday’s Facebook campaign page that he doesn’t agree with, he deletes the post. How do you represent all the people when you won’t entertain those who disagree with you?
For the record-Great response.Amen.Mark your running for county office,what problems do they have and what is your course of action to fix them?
I’ll bet Fulton citizens still don’t have to pay over $1000/yr. to flush their toilets and another $350+/year to have their garbage picked up; so….it can’t be all that bad.
Three fire trucks went to Catholic charities today. Two from downtown. One from westside station. We set in parking lot… Two firemen went in building. The rest just stood outside. Now thats how Fulton works. Its a joke