Chris Williams (R) announced his candidacy for Lansing Town Supervisor Tuesday on WHCU radio, then held an informal campaign meet and greet that evening.  Williams is the brewer behind Stout Hearted Beer, Rogue's harbor Inn's own brand of locally made beer.  A Republican, he will challenge Councilman Ed LaVigne, who is also running for Supervisor this year.  Whoever wins the September 10th primary will presumably face off against a Democratic candidate in November.  Incumbent Supervisor Kathy Miller said Wednesday she has not yet decided whether she will run again.

"It's about a vision," Williams said Tuesday.  "I'm worried about a lot of things in the future, because I don't see a vision for five years.  I don't see 10 years or 25 years.  There are some obstacles that not just this town, but the entire country is going to have to navigate through in the next two decades.  These all have to do with access to energy and water and the rights of the properties we own."

Williams is a native of Quincy, Michigan.  Before moving to Lansing about five years ago he was a research scientist for Kodak, working on intelligence projects for the U.S. government.  His software and Internet development company, Escape Radius, was founded in 1999.  More recently he turned a passion for home brewing into a new job when he became the head brewer for the Rogue's Harbor Inn's on-site brewery, producing beer that is now branded as Stout Hearted Brewing.  Tuesday's 'meet and greet' was in the Rogue's Harbor bar, where citizens could sample Williams' beer as well as his ideas for Lansing.

When asked why he is running now, and especially why for the top job in Lansing, he says that a stint on a grand jury peaked his interest in government and how it works.  That led to thinking about how to make Lansing work better.  He started attending town meetings and thinking

"It is largely love of country," he said.  "That's two ideas: love of the countryside that we live in, which I love around here; and love of the United States of America.  These issues in Lansing are no different from those in many towns across the country."


Williams says Lansing has not moved forward with major initiatives, and the Town government needs to think tactically to achieve well defined goals.  He says that is something that has not been happening in recent years.

"I've looked at your articles about previous elections, and they always say is Lansing at a crossroads," he said.  "My perception is that with some of these challenges that we're facing Lansing has been standing at a crossroads for a few years and doesn't know which direction to go in.  I don't blame any individual or party.  In terms of a direction, there's no goal to reach.  We're just kind of standing here like the scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz who says, 'Some people go this way and some people go this (other) way.'  There's no direction to take."

He notes that decisions driving a lot of projects, such as repowering the Cayuga Power Plant, or the natural gas pipeline that will bring natural gas to Lansing along a controversial route through Dryden are out of Lansing's control.  To make up for that he says the Town needs to attract a specific kind of new businesses that demand low impact on infrastructure and the beauty of the town while generating new tax revenue.

"One of the things I fear about democracy in our country is that there isn't political dialog," Williams says.  "When the constitution was written the political dialog was so fierce, and so passionate.  It's never seen that level again.  I believe democracy is really threatened by the lack of involvement and conversation amongst people.  The wheels of the machinery that would move a campaign forward is about how many people believe that vision.  I believe campaigns are run on ideas.  Yes, there are personalities involved, but when you come right down to it, it's ideas."

Williams says the top three issues he wants to address, if elected, are replacing power plant tax income, making the completion of the Town's comprehensive plan a top priority, and the running of the town itself.  With a flexible work schedule, Williams says the Supervisor must be available on a daily or semi-daily basis to take care of the business of the Town.  He says the Supervisor should be a kind of 'recruitment officer' to attract the right kind of new businesses here.

"I ask myself, what's the responsibility of government?" Williams said.  "One of those things is to provide some sort of vision for the future.  Whether my vision is what people agree upon or not, that's what elections are about."

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