New mayors start in Watkins, Montour

WATKINS GLEN, MONTOUR FALLS—Two new mayors were sworn into office Monday, April 4, in Watkins Glen and Montour Falls.
Mark Swinnerton led his first meeting as Watkins Glen mayor. He was joined by new board members Kevin Smith and Scott Gibson. Swinnerton said he was pleased with the turnout at the meeting, which had 16 audience members. The board fielded questions during public comment about changes.
When asked about department reports being more accessible to the public, Gibson said the board will be making changes like having the reports on the village’s Web site. He added residents will start to see other such changes in the coming weeks.
Dix board member Scott Yaw suggested the two boards start meeting regularly. Swinnerton agreed so the town and village could discuss mutual plans and concerns.
In Montour Falls, John King was sworn in as mayor. He also appointed Jim Ryan to fill his trustee seat. Another new board member is Ellen Mathers, who was elected in March.
King said the first thing he will be working on is going over the budget line by line. He added he wants to redistribute money where it’s needed most: like increasing the code enforcement officer’s hours, and for roads and sidewalks. King said another policy he wants to see implemented is to repair a certain number of docks at the village marina each year.