Natalie Buccieri, challenger for Vernon Township Council

I love our town and I’m ready to get to work. My experience running our family business and serving on the Vernon school board has prepared me to meet the financial and budgetary issues facing our town. Working in a collaborative environment, hearing from all stakeholders, and working toward consensus are skills I bring to the table. I believe government should be transparent and those in office should serve with integrity and honesty.

I am 24-year resident of Vernon and my husband, Dan, and I have raised our four children here. I served on the Vernon Economic Development Committee in 2011. Mo

1. Taxes: No one likes paying taxes. But as the saying goes, two things in life are inevitable, death and taxes. The Vernon council approves the town’s yearly budget, and as a council member I commit to review spending right down the line. Each tax dollar collected comes from the pocket of our citizens; it’s their hard-earned money. Before any large expenditure is approved I the council should review a thorough cost analysis. We can only make good decisions based on good data.

2. Business: Unfortunately, I’ve heard from several businesses and contractors that Vernon is not an easy place in which to do business. As a council member I’d find out why. Talking to Vernon businesses and opening a dialogue is the only way to do that. Once a root cause (or several) is identified, addressing those issues and enacting change as a council would be my goal. I don’t believe it’s the job of government to create business, but it’s governments job to make it easy for businesses to open and succeed. Businesses shouldn’t be burdened with red tape and bureaucracy to open (and keep open) their doors. Lastly, I don’t mean this as a reflection on any of the township employees. I believe they are hard-working individuals, but we can always do better.

3. Transparency: Trust between citizens and government is key. Whether or not the assessment is fair or simply perceived, lack of transparency and trust is an issue that has plagued our government at every level. For Vernon, returning to in-person meetings with a virtual option, answering citizens’ questions and council members having transparent discussions about the issues during a public meeting all help to foster that trust. As a council member I plan to propose a transparent appointment process should a member resign and a new council member needs to be appointed. I also pledge to have open discussion during meetings regarding ordinances and resolutions. Our citizens deserve to hear where each council member stands on the issues