"Our public servants include volunteer firefighters, emergency medical technicians, unpaid school board members, members of community service organizations, not-for-profit board members, volunteer coaches, scout leaders, and countless others who freely give their time and talents to our communities.

I believe that our part-time elected Town Board members should be among the volunteers in our community, not to be paid for their services. Right now they participate in lucrative pension (this year's 'donation' from our property taxes will be 11% of their individual $18,000 per year salary) and lifetime health care plans (a $5.8 million property-tax-funded budget item for premiums for past employees). They consider public service a profession, not volunteerism like others in our community who unselfishly volunteer their time.

Contrast the budet responsibilities of the volunteer school board of $85 million to that of the salaried and pensioned Town Board's budget of $14 million and you can get a sense of my position. And, like Congress, they apparently believe that there is no conflict of interest when they vote for pay raises and other benefits for themselves!

I pledge that, if elected, I will return any compensation that I receive from the taxpayers back to the community. I further pledge that I will not participate in a pension plan, nor will I accept any health care plan funded by taxpayers. I pledge to work to reduce the cost of Penfield government and get more members of our community involved.

I pledge that I will be a public servant."