By Alfonso Marra Bax
Over the past 12 years, it has been my absolute privilege to serve as councilman for the Town of Lewiston.
In that time, my wonderful stepsons have grown up, graduated high school and have become amazing young men that I am proud to call "my boys." My baby girl, who I carried on my shoulders during my first Peach Festival parade, is now a beautiful teenager with a soft heart and spirit that I will always cherish. During my three-term tenure, I was also blessed with two more beautiful sons, A.J. and Sammy, who are my constant companions and playmates.
A lot has changed over the past 12 years but, for me, one thing has always remained constant - my love for this community and my dedication to its prosperity and preservation.
I have been privileged to live with my family in one of the most amazing and beautiful places in the world. Whenever I mention that I am from Lewiston, someone inevitably comments about how they love coming to our town for the festivals, the food and the view. How many of them, given the opportunity, would want to be our neighbors? This is a legacy that belongs to all of us and one that I am proud to have played a small part in.
Over the past dozen years, we have profoundly changed the paradigm of "status quo" for our beautiful town. We have effectively shifted our focus away from an economy based on clay mining and landfills to one based on tourism and smart development. We are no longer financially dependent on contributions from entities that do not have our best interests at heart. We have stood steadfast in our unanimous opposition to the expansion of CWM and the hauling of toxic waste through our community and in front of our schools.
We have become more inclusive as we continue our commitment to invest in Sanborn and rekindle our long-neglected relationship with our friends from the Tuscarora Nation.
For the first time in recent memory, the culture of Town Hall can truly be described as collaborative and cooperative. Last, but not least, we have taken responsible financial steps to ensure that the quality of life we have all come to cherish will never be jeopardized.
I have never been more proud to call myself a "Lewistonian." However, for as much as we have accomplished, there is still so much to be done. With the recent revitalization of Buffalo, Lewiston stands in a unique position to take advantage of the regional growth that is sure to follow. We also need to ensure that entities such as the New York State Power Authority and U.S. (Niagara Falls) Bridge Commission, who are exempt from paying local taxes, contribute their fair share to our local tax base. These are just examples of the important issues that will be faced by the next Town Board.
Accordingly, I am happy to announce my candidacy for re-election for Lewiston town councilman. I look forward to advancing the positive steps we have taken together and am excited about the prospect that I may be able to contribute to our collective long-term vision for our community. I thank all of those who have supported me in the past, and I hope that I have earned your trust and continued support this November.
