Town of Caroline Town Supervisor – Primary June 27
Mark Witmer (incumbent)
I’m honored to have served as Town Supervisor for the past seven-plus years. Here’s a snapshot of my accomplishments:
The community Solarize program initiated in Caroline blossomed into county-wide, then state-wide, Solarize and HeatSmart programs promoting affordable residential solar, home energy improvements and heat pumps.
By taking concrete, sustainable local actions we qualified for a $100,000 state grant to implement a town-wide “Brighten Up” LED lighting conversion.
We updated the town’s comprehensive plan after seven years of careful work. We are now working on a zoning law that will promote community goals articulated in that plan.
Working with other elected leaders and key county personnel, we are now taking steps to enhance rural emergency medical response countywide.
We are exploring municipal broadband that will enhance the reliability and affordability of broadband service throughout the town.
We’ve replaced aged highway trucks and are now embarking on construction of new highway facilities.
We’re developing a renovation grant for the historic Town Hall.
And we’re working to make the South Hill Rail Trail a reality soon.
We’ve done all of this while staying under the tax cap.
I look forward to continuing our work together to keep Caroline such a great place to live.
Tonya VanCamp
As Town Supervisor, Tonya will strive to bring transparency, strong financial acumen and a listening ear to the Town of Caroline.
When looking for a place to live in the Ithaca area in 2006, Tonya immediately felt drawn to Caroline because it reminded her of her midwestern roots. Since then, she’s been able to purchase the Caroline home she dreamed of through sheer tenacity and hard work, running a contracting business, going to school full-time to obtain a B.S. in Business Management and raising children as a single mom.
Through her current work as Finance Coordinator and Administrator for Friends of Stewart Park, Tonya has developed excellent financial management and organizational skills. She excels at working with budgets, implementing financial checks and balances and performing records maintenance and data tracking.
Tonya also served the community as an EMT with the Slaterville ambulance company. This experience, and her own personal struggle out of poverty, have given her insight into the needs of the low-income and elderly in the community.
Her passion for equity, accessibility and community, together with her strong supporting skill sets and love of Caroline, make Tonya an excellent candidate for Town Supervisor.
Town of Caroline Town Council – Primary June 27
Kate Kelley-Mackenzie (incumbent)
I am running for another term on the Caroline Town Council because I care deeply about our community. I want to continue working on projects that are already in progress, including broadband build out, safe streets for all, rebuilding our town barns, the South Hill Recreation Trail Extension and responsible land use planning, including zoning.
The residents of Caroline are in desperate need of affordable, high quality broadband. I obtained $131,000 from the county and, in combination with our ARPA funds, we were able to initiate a broadband feasibility study. We are now working with the Town of Dryden’s Broadband Utility towards a 2024 buildout.
I represent Caroline on the Ithaca Tompkins County Transportation Council. Working with eight other municipalities, we obtained money to write a Caroline Safe Streets for All transportation plan that will enable us to apply for federal grants for infrastructure projects.
I am a longtime supporter of the South Hill Recreation Way Extension to connect Caroline with the countywide rail trail system.
As I look to the future, our town needs to invest in land use and development. I support limited zoning to uphold our Town Comprehensive Plan.
Kathryn (Kathy) Mix
As an active community member with a background in business, healthcare and farming, Kathy brings a unique and diverse perspective to our community.
A 30+ year resident of Caroline, she and her husband raised two boys on their dairy farm, an experience that has established her as an advocate for land and wildlife preservation.
Kathy has served as a volunteer in Caroline, providing emergency services to the community. For decades, she has been an Advanced EMT, holding multiple leadership positions, locally and statewide, and became a mentor and trainer of EMS personnel throughout the region.
Actively participating in town government, Kathy served as liaison between the Town Board and the Slaterville Fire Department; a member of the Disaster Preparedness Committee, which developed the town’s disaster plan, and chaired the Caroline Flag Committee, which established the Caroline’s Flag/Banner Display Policy.
Her candidacy for Town Council is a natural progression of her continued service to the community. Kathy’s proven integrity, advocacy, leadership and compassion will make her a valuable addition to the Town Board. Kathy would be thrilled to serve the community as a member of the Town Board and strives to put “human back in humanity.”
Tim Murray (incumbent)
A Caroline resident for 41 years, I am Deputy Town Supervisor on the Caroline Town Council. I endorse community efforts to protect the environment, homes and local businesses from incompatible land use through responsible zoning. Having spent over four years as liaison to the Zoning Commission and working on the revised comprehensive plan, I am inspired by our tireless committee volunteers, who are committed to shared and transparent town governance. Let’s keep working together to fulfill our town’s commitment to diversity, ecology and responsible planning.
I advocate for expanded emergency health services and broadband, energy independence, enhanced public safety, extension of the South Hill Recreation Way and renewal of town infrastructure and highway fleets. I am committed to fiscal responsibility and to seeking out county, state and federal grants to support new and ongoing initiatives. I applaud the board’s recent passage of tax exemptions for first-responders, veterans, the disabled, seniors and living quarters for parents and grandparents. My aim is to enhance support of the underprivileged, public transportation and programming for youth and seniors.
I serve as Director of the Cornell Council for the Arts, and I bring to the Town Council decades of experience in national board service, administration and robust private, state, and federal fundraising.