NORTH NORWICH – It’s his time to move on. After 18 years in public office, Chenango County Board of Supervisors Chairman Richard B. Decker is calling it quits.
“I’ve been in public life for so long, it’s my time to move on,” said the Town of North Norwich Republican late Monday.
The decision was a difficult one to make, but it’s one he made by himself, “the way it should be,” he said.
During Decker’s tenure, Chenango County government took on challenges from the potential siting of a low-level radioactive facility to the more recent high voltage tower system. It weathered skyrocketing hikes in Medicaid costs and employee pension, health care and social security benefits.
With departmental cost-cutting and the application of surplus, tax levy increases have remained at less than 1 percent over the past five years under his helm. And after borrowing for large capital projects through the years, such as the Chenango County Public Safety Facility and the Pharsalia Landfill, the county is on track to be debt free in 2012.
Through it all, Decker said he could count on the standing committee system, fellow supervisors and department directors to make the right decisions for taxpayers. He said he’s leaving “a few things undone,” but instead of being more specific, pointed out that he never accomplished anything alone.
“I’ve always said, there isn’t any one person that can make anything happen. It takes a board to cooperatively act,” he said.
“I’m still naive enough to believe that an individual can set direction, yes, but I truly believe in a board of supervisors is the right way for county governments to operate.”
As for his town, Decker said there hasn’t been a time when something important is looming on the horizon that his constituents haven’t been able to call him directly on the telephone or stop him in town to talk about it.
“I’ve enjoyed being in touch with individual residents,” he said.
Decker’s pick for his replacement is current North Norwich Councilman Robert E. Wansor, who filed his Republican Party petition last week.
Wansor has served on the town’s council for the past five years and was a member of the North Norwich Planning Board two years previously. He said he plans to follow in Decker’s footsteps to keep taxes down in the town and services at a price level that constituents can afford.
“North Norwich town government and highway has been run on a bare bones budget. We don’t overspend on buildings for a new town highway barn when it isn’t necessary, and we use and repair equipment before it becomes a liability.”
If elected, Wansor said he would attempt to draw more business into the town, using economic development tax zones and the state Rt. 12 corridor as selling points. He also said he would keep employee salary increases in line with other townships in the county and look at sharing services between municipalities.
“I’m certainly one to do so, like to say jointly buy fuel or overlap highway services. But at the moment, North Norwich is kind of far away from the Town of Norwich, with 64 miles of our own roads,” he said.
Wansor has resided and been a practicing chiropractor in the town for more than 25 years. He has been active in the Boy Scouts, serving as scout master of Norwich Troop 63 for two years.
“Dr. Wansor is a good choice, will do a great job. He understands the town and I think he’ll know the county very quickly,” Decker said.