Ready to get back in the game after four-year vacation
by Martha E. Conway
(Lenox – 060717) Rocco J. “Rocky” DiVeronica announced today his intent to run for town of Lenox supervisor. After a four-year hiatus from public service, DiVeronica said he is excited to be running again.
“I’ve been helping [wife] Dorothy and spending time with family,” DiVeronica said of his time off. “I’ve decided that when I left office, there were things on the table that are still uncompleted, and I need to return and get them done.”
He said things like the inclusion of veterans of all wars in Clark Park and the water line extension are top priorities, and he has listened to the concerns of members of the public – constituents – who report what DiVeronica referred to as “absenteeism.”
“How can you run a multi-million-dollar business at noon?” DiVeronica said, explaining that the job requires more attention than a full-time employed individual can give it.”
DiVeronica said he has the complete support of his family, though a few joked, asking him if he was crazy.
“I look forward to being back in the arena and getting things done,” he said.
DiVeronica said he feels the highway department has been neglected, with little investment in upgrading equipment and keeping up the roads.
“You can’t get behind in that stuff,” DiVeronica said. “You’ll never catch up.”
DiVeronica said the town had a nice surplus when he left office.
“We had a good budget, and I’d like to know what happened,” DiVeronica said. “The tax rate was about $1.52 when I left, and now it’s about $1.80 [per $1,000 of assessed value]. I’m still very connected with the contacts I made in the state and federal governments, and I was very successful in bringing grant money to the town and county.”
In addition to those funding sources, DiVeronica said he was responsible for getting the ear of then-Governor George Pataki to bring aid to the county to compensate for the impact of tax-exempt Oneida Nation properties and enterprises.
“All those efforts helped lower the tax burden and promoted responsible growth,” DiVeronica said.
During his decades of previous public service, the former airport area has been developed into a thriving business park, and the town saw a 5.7-percent growth in population between 2000 and 2010 according to the U.S. Census.
At the town and county, DiVeronica said he wants to spend time digging into the budget to make certain there aren’t areas where more savings can be realized.
“I want to figure out a way to keep taxes down and promote growth,” DiVeronica said. “There are many great reasons to live here, but people are more likely to settle down here if taxes are low. I want to make sure the county’s highway equipment rotation and road maintenance don’t get behind. My background is in construction, and if I’m re-elected, I hope to be on the committee that oversees public works.”
DiVeronica said he’s been following Governor Andrew Cuomo’s push for consolidation and shared services. He cautioned that people should never confuse those two things, and said Madison County’s towns and villages have been committed to sharing services for the many decades during which he served in public office.
“There is so much cooperation between [municipalities] now, there is very little left they can do with shared services,” DiVeronica said.
DiVeronica said he missed working for the town.
“I miss the people I worked for, and I am proud of what was accomplished during my time in office,” DiVeronica said, giving the example of the construction of town hall that was accomplished with no tax burden on constituents. “I used the money we kept aside from the [Canal Road] cleanup.”
DiVeronica said he hopes constituents will look at his past experience working for the town when they head to the polling places.
“Things like lower taxes, smart growth and promotion of local industry,” DiVeronica said. “I’m ready, willing and able to work for the people of Lenox. I’m really enthusiastic about running and getting back to work…and I’m going to work to win.”
For more information, DiVeronica can be reached at 315.813.4306 or rdiveronica@twcny.rr.com.
Editor’s note: Martha E. Conway is publisher of madisoncountycourier.com.