DRYDEN – For the two-year term of Dryden town supervisor, incumbent Jason Leifer, who is the nominated candidate for the Democratic and Protecting Dryden parties, is running against Republican Thomas Corey.
“I am looking to continue the important work that is already under way,” Leifer said, including replacing private internet service providers with a municipal broadband service, now under construction, and the Dryden Rail Trail, funded largely with state and federal grants, with donated time and materials.
Leifer was first elected supervisor in 2015. From 2012 to 2015, he was the town’s deputy supervisor, capping seven years as town board member before he became supervisor.
“Since becoming town supervisor in 2016, quality of life in Dryden has improved,” Leifer said. “Dryden has seen over $140 million in public and private investment come to the town. Attracting new investment to Dryden was a goal of mine when I ran for supervisor in 2015.”
Leifer, a lawyer, has served on the Tompkins County Legislature’s Criminal Justice Alternatives to Incarceration Board and the Advisory Board on Indigent Representation, as well as the Tompkins County District Courts Task Force, which studied the possibility of consolidating local justice courts into a single district court.
He also plans to update the town’s zoning to conform to the town’s comprehensive plan, adopted in 2022.
“Under my leadership, Dryden continues to lead the region in protecting the environment, including our forests, creeks, lakes and agricultural land,” Leifer said. “We combatted global warming with the approval of modern solar farms, and we worked with Dominion Energy to improve the safety and the air quality around their interstate gas pipelines in Dryden.”
Corey, 72, has lived in Dryden for 47 years. He was a charter member of Dryden Rotary and Ithaca Toastmasters, and has served on the village board, where he said he worked to keep taxes under control and managed the community’s water and sewer resources.
He was vice president of the Tompkins Chamber of Commerce, and has chaired the mission committee at United Presbyterian Church of Cortland for 25 years.
“I believe that local government is where the values, concerns and expectations of the people
are shared and put into concrete action,” Corey said. “My sense is that the town of Dryden government has lost its way, and the choices it has made in recent years do not reflect the needs and expectations of its constituency. Bad choices result in the poor application of time, money and energy, which are all in limited supply.”
One example of wasted money is the $3.25 million that was spent on a pedestrian bridge for the Dryden Rail Trail, Corey said.
If elected, he hopes to avoid “vanity projects,” such as the Dryden Rail Trail or Dryden Fiber, and instead focus on creating a multi-age recreation center, and improve the art, music and theater scene.
He also would like to have both areas of the town, north and south of Route 13, represented on the town board by having two council members from each, he said.
TOWN COUNCIL
Incumbents Christina Dravis and Spring Buck, nominated by the Democratic and Protecting Dryden parties, face Republicans Ronal Szmanski and Lawrence Lyon. Two seats are available.
TOWN JUSTICE
Incumbent Justice Christopher Clauson, the Democratic and Protecting Dryden nominee, faces Republican Henry Kramer for a four-year seat.
