By Rikki Cason<br><a href="mailto:rikki.cason@journal-register.com">E-mail Rikki</a>
ALBION — Three incumbents looking to serve the Village of Albion for the next four years were endorsed by the Republican Party for the upcoming March 16 election.
The party backed Dean Theodorakos for mayor and endorsed Eileen Banker and Kevin Sheehan to run for the two open trustee seats.
Theodorakos was elected as a trustee in 2007 and appointed by the board as mayor in June 2009, after former mayor Michael Hadick resigned.
“I've truly enjoyed my time on the board — both as trustee and mayor,” Theodorakos said. “It’s been a great opportunity for me to contribute to the community in ways that I never could have, otherwise. I have a strong commitment to the village.”
He said that serving as mayor requires a huge investment of time, energy and emotion.
“The payback is being able to enjoy the results of that investment and the feeling that I can make a difference,” he said.
Theodorakos is employed as a financial controller for Kodak. He is also an active member of the Albion Main Street Alliance, Albion Elks Club and is chairman of the Swan Library Building Project Finance Committee. He was a former member of the Village Planning Board. Theodorakos lives on South Main Street with his wife, Dele. They have three children.
Theodorakos said that it is his mission to continue to promote the economic development and integrity of the village. Those goals include the planned and systematic rehabilitation of aging infrastructure, such as sewer, water, streets and sidewalks; the ongoing pursuit of grants and lowest cost project
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financing; making prudent spending decisions; looking into sharing and consolidation of services; and finding partnerships/collaborative efforts to revitalize neighborhoods and downtown.
Sheehan is seeking his second term as trustee. He said that he knew he wanted to seek re-election the first day he took office.
“I absolutely love this job, and if I am successful in my re-election campaign I will run again in 2014,” he said. “I was thinking that if you get elected once, then the residents like you, and if you are elected for a second term, then they like the job that you have done.”
Over the next four years, Sheehan would like to see all the capital improvement projects completed so the village can start on road and sidewalk repair. He also plans to work to keep taxes reasonable, while maintaining the services the residents are accustomed to. Other goals include continuing to help fight crime in the village by supporting neighborhood watch, Orleans County Felony Task Force and Albion K-9; and keep professionalism and honesty in village government.
“This job is the lowest-paying, hardest job that I have ever loved,” he said.
Sheehan thinks that he, Theodorakos and Banker will continue to be great additions to the board.
“Dean is the hardest-working, most organized board member that we have,” he said. “We have both never submitted any bill from our out-of-pocket expenses to the village. We have actually paid our own way to Albany to seek funding for capital improvement projects that resulted in $1.5 million in stimulus money and $1.5 million in zero-interest loans through E.F.C. I knew then that Dean was the best person for this job.”
Sheehan said that Banker has proven her organizational skills through the trips to Albany that she and her staff at Assemblyman Steve Hawley’s office put together, as well as the annual Patriot Trip to Washington,. D.C.
Sheehan lives on South Clinton Street with his wife, Carol. They have four sons. He works for Crosby-Brownlie Mechanical, is a member of the VFW, the American Legion, Elks Lodge and is a U.S. Army veteran. He also was instrumental in starting the Albion Neighborhood Watch Program.
Banker joined the board Jan. 6. There had been an open trustee seat since June, when Theodorakos was appointed mayor.
The lifelong Albion resident said that she would like to be more integrally involved with the future of the village.
”I feel that we need to continue making progress, but in a fiscally conservative and responsible way,” Banker said. “New York state is facing extremely difficult times that will inevitably trickle down to local municipalities, which will make budget time a difficult task. We cannot compromise services to the village residents, but we do need to be prepared to hold the line on our spending until it is clear what we will be facing with the current economy.”
Her goals for the next four years include looking into sharing and consolidation of services, as long as they do not compromise services to residents; and continuing to support the rehabilitation of aging infrastructures, such as sewer, water, streets and sidewalks.
“Although this endeavor is costly, the current board has proven their ability to seek out grants and low-interest loans, assuring the upgrades and repairs have not substantially increased taxes,” she said. “I want to continue to seek additional funding that would accomplish this important and crucial task.”
Banker would also like to continue to preserve the historic village — but not at the expense of closing businesses — seeking compromises for solutions that best fit both parties, if necessary.
“I will be open and honest, willing to listen and respond to constituents’ views and concerns,” she said. “My running mates, Dean Theodorakos and Kevin Sheehan, are responsible and dedicated individuals that have the best interest of the Village of Albion and its residents in mind at all times. I am very excited to be a part of their team and I look forward to the possibility of serving on the Village Board in the future with them.”
Banker lives on Clarendon Street with her husband, Dale. They have one daughter. She has 10 years accounting experience reconciling multi-million dollar accounts for Dime Banking and four years system analyst experience. She worked as the human resource manager at Batavia Downs Gaming and currently is the executive administrator for Hawley.
“My accounting experience will help during budget time, and working in human resources will help with my interactions with the village employees,” Banker said. “My current position has afforded me the opportunity to gain knowledge of the various New York state departments and how important it is that all levels of government work together.”
Contact reporter Rikki Cason at 798-1400, ext. 8227.
