A new leader is on the way for the Town of West Seneca. For the first time in nearly a half-century, voters in the heavily Democratic town elected a Republican to serve as Supervisor.
Supervisor-elect Gary Dickson won the top job in West Seneca with 57 percent of the vote.
"I think the key to victory was appealing to the desires of the population to control taxes and for an open and transparent government that is responsive to the public," Dickson said.
His Democratic challenger, James Lawson, got 34 percent of the vote. And Working Families candidate Eugene Hart got 8 percent. Dickson says he thinks his message resonated with voters regardless of their party affiliation.
"I mean they want a town that works. And they want to have a town that spends their money wisely."
Dickson says his first priority upon taking office in January will be to meet with all of West Seneca's employees.
"Talk to them about what my hopes are for the future and to ask them what their hopes are? And how do they feel the town government can be improved? To improve our services to the public as well as to hold the line on costs," Dickson said.
Democrats will be in the majority on the three member town council. But Dickson, a Republican, says at the town level he doesn't think partisanship plays much of a role.
"We all have the same goal. And I think we're all going to work for a common goal - which is to make West Seneca a better town," Dickson said.
