Neuhaus and Sweeton announce run for county executive
CHESTER Two GOP stalwarts have this week announced their intention to run for county executive, while the Republican incumbent is embroiled in controversy over Valley View nursing home and the county government center (see related story).
Both candidates are town supervisors: Steve Neuhaus of Chester, who has served for five years; and Michael Sweeton of Warwick, who has served for nine.
"The most important thing we need to do in this county is to ensure a government that is creditable and truthful with the people who live here," Neuhaus wrote in a statement to The Chronicle on Thursday. "As famed journalist Edward R. Murrow stated, 'To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to credible we must be truthful.' I believe that county government must start with being open and truthful to the taxpayers. We are going to focus on maintaining our quality of life and improving our quality of jobs here in Orange County. From that, we need to work together to resolve the pressing issues of county government including of course resolution of Valley View and the county office building."
Sweeton said this week that he was "approached by people I respect" to consider running for the county's top spot.
My firm belief is, and has been for some time, that current county executive, Ed Diana, will not run again, for a fourth term," Sweeton said in a statement. "So Im not 'running against Ed Diana.' Im running because I believe that I have the experience (both business and governmental), the maturity and the desire to lead Orange County in the right direction over the next four years. I look forward to engaging anyone on the tough issues facing our county.
Neuhaus says that "over the past five years, Chester has weathered the economic storm while at the same time having our bond rating upgraded two spots to the best in our history. Our taxes have been held at bay and decreased in many areas. We have cut spending and made the difficult decisions that many are afraid to do. Namely restructuring and changing government. A perfect example of that is with the inter municipal agreement with the county on assessing services. We have saved nearly $100,000 right of the bat and provide the community with better service."
When Sweeton ran for re-election last year, he pointed to accomplishments that include a revamped zoning code, the preservation of 2,800 acres of farmland and recreation space, expanded bus service, a more streamlined government, better procedures for approving new business start-ups, $15 million in government grants for Warwick, and a new senior center, among others.
Neuhaus said he'll make a more formal announcement later, and that he's set up an exploratory committee to lay the groundwork for a future run.
"In the meantime," he said, "my priority is to continue to run the Town of Chester. We still have constant challenges ahead with the lagging economy and we will be prepared to meet them."