"Why am I Running for Town Supervisor?"
"I hate politics, I love my hometown. I am running for Wappinger Town Supervisor to ensure that the future of our Town is secure and the quality of life of those who live here is enhanced. This is about restoring management and fiscal oversight to Town Hall, protecting your home's value by preventing overdevelopment, and offering the infrastructure and park improvements that you and your family deserve."
The issues facing our Town.
This campaign is not against any one person or political party, but rather this campaign is to get our Town on the right track of working for the residents.
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Increased traffic, overcrowded schools... Overdevelopment:
With proposals of hundreds of apartment units coming before the Town Board, repeated code changes that benefit special interests, we need a representative who will look out for our Wappinger family values and preserve the quality of life of those who live here. Limiting overdevelopment by following our Town's Comprehensive Plan, preserving open space, and carefully considering the direct impact on our community's traffic, schools, and emergency services.
Cavaccini plans to foster innovative development through filling vacant commercial properties before we build new, promote walkable downtown communities in our hamlet centers and work with our Village government to support their efforts.
Restoring Management to Town Hall:
Right now, the Town is on solid fiscal ground, but we are not managing our budget. With over $10million across three Town general budgetary funds and $13million inappropriate fund balance (as confirmed with the Association of Towns), the Town of Wappinger is over taxing residents and not offering the programs or capital projects that it should for our residents.
The Cavaccini Plan is to proactively invest these funds properly and identify key capital projects to fund over five years, and actually executing these projects.
Instead the current Administration raised our tax levy, 8% in 2023 with little progress being made. There is currently no review of the true status of our budget. What's being spent vs what was budgeted. The Town Comptroller provides the Town Board with high level summaries of funds, but from the Chief Financial Officer perspective, we need to crack down on issues such as being months behind in billing for professionals (engineers and attorneys), projects being authorized without Town Board approval and then sub sequentially needing their approval, bypassing Union Contracts that have already been budgeted for with MOUs, and more. With this, we can restore accuracy to our budget.
For over a decade, Cavaccini has strictly followed budgets and written budgets with departments, organizations, and projects, including Dutchess County's $587million budget. He may not have been given the opportunity to draft a Town Budget of his own; but in addition to what has previously been identified, he would draft budgets that do not allow for Department Heads to over budget for hidden projects to bypass the Town Board, or allow for close to $2million to be paid to contractors for a HVAC system at Town Hall that does not work, or allow for contractors and engineers to walk away after shingles at Carnwath fell off the roof after few months due to no inspection of work. Cavaccini will hold contractors feet to fire and protect our tax dollars.
In Pawling, he was proud to have worked as the Health Benefits Administrator, with the Town Board, to shop out medical insurance for our employees. In doing so they saved the Town $167,000 and saved employees money with cheaper premiums and a HRA.
Currently in Wappinger, there is little oversight on payroll. There are four senior members of the
Highway Department who were overpaid, taxed on it, and have been told to pay them Town back after this mistake. One official still has not been registered with NY Retirement after four years. Cavaccini plans to restructure the way the Town currently handles personnel by being hands on with employee concerns and ensure that important items are not slipping through the cracks.
Cavaccini has been endorsed by our Town of Wappinger Highway employees CSEA union.
"In closing, a good leader doesn’t need or expect to be the smartest in every room. A good leader brings together the best and brightest, and is willing to listen and learn. This is a team effort and I am so appreciative of the overwhelming support we have received so far."
The Cavaccini Plan
"I am proud to be running for Wappinger Town Supervisor to get our Town on the right track of working for those who live here."
Protecting Property Values
Cavaccini will work to promote innovative economic development by advocating to fill empty storefronts and eyesore plazas before building new malls, reconstruct roadways to accommodate existing traffic needs, and limiting large housing developments that cause increased traffic and crowding in schools.
As the Chairman of the Dutchess County Legislature’s Environment Committee, he has had the honor to lead meetings on land use, including the preservation of our farmland and open spaces.
Restore Management and Responsibility
Cavaccini plans to return a strong managerial presence to Town Hall in ensuring projects are accomplished on time and on budget, securing Union contracts consistently on time, and hold professionals accountable - protecting taxpayer dollars. He plans to proactively invest these funds properly and identify key capital projects to fund over five years.
Prioritize our Parks and Infrastructure
Act on the adopted Master Plan for the rehabilitation of Carnwath Farms Historic Site & Park and will actually initiate parks and recreation capital improvement projects, unlike the partially started Spook Hill Park project. As a member of the Public Works & Capital Projects Committee, he has worked to improve and rehabilitate Town/County/State roadways. Including the New Hackensack roundabout at Route 376, All Angels Hill Road and New Hackensack Road. Using his background in County government, he plans to work with State, County, and Town officials to complete further projects.
Goal
"In doing this, I anticipate that we will further prioritize our parks and infrastructure across the Town of Wappinger. We will be innovative and never stop working to improve this community."