Elected officials: Dryden and Tompkins County

David Makar

Town Board

Dave joined the Town Board in 2006, winning the election to fulfill the term vacated by Mike Hattery. He runs a successful web-design business out of his home on Slaterville Road, and he is a founding member of the local chapter of Business Networking International. On the Town Board, Dave serves on the Grants Committee and the Technology Committee, and he is Board Liaison to Recreation/Youth Services/Community Centers, to the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Plant (IAWWTP), and to the Fire Department and Emergency Services.

When he ran in 2006, Dave said:

We need to work together to ask the town to provide a safe environment for businesses to grow and an economical reason for new businesses to start in Dryden.

Key interests: economic development; support for neighborhoods, recreation, and communities; climate change

Joe Solomon

Town Board

Joe lives in Etna with his wife Gretchen and their two year old daughter Tala. He is a graduate of Cornell University (BS in Biology) and Syracuse University (BS in Civil Engineering) with graduate work completed at Syracuse University (MS in Civil Engineering). Joe is licensed as a Professional Engineer in the State of New York and he is currently employed with Hunt Engineers, Architects & Land Surveyors P.C. With over 10 years of experience in structural and civil engineering, Joe's areas of expertise include detailed bridge design, bridge load rating, bridge condition inspection, and structural analysis. He also has experience with highway reconstruction; water and wastewater systems; site work; and structure/building modification, reconstruction, and new construction. Joe's personal interests include spending time with his family, outdoor recreation, and lacrosse.

Joe says:

I think my professional background would benefit the Town not only as it evolves and develops but also as public services are made available to more of its residents.

Key interests: a highway and infrastructure management system, business development, environmental advocacy

Martha Robertson

County Legislator

Martha was elected in 2001 and reelected in 2005. She has been Chair of the Health and Human Services Committees (2003-2005) and Planning, Development and Environmental Quality Committee (2006-present). In addition to standing committees, she serves on the Industrial Development Agency (IDA), the Workforce, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and the Council of Governments. Martha was very active in PushBack, which lobbied against unfunded state and federal mandates and helped to win a statewide cap on the local share of Medicaid.

A county resident for 23 years, Martha has been very involved with the Sciencenter since 1988 and is on the board of the Community Dispute Resolution Center.

Before joining the Tompkins County Legislature, Martha was Director of the President's Council of Cornell Women, in Alumni Affairs at Cornell University. She has been a teacher, a business owner, and a fundraiser for several not-for-profit organizations. Martha and her husband Steve have two children and one grandson.

Key interests: housing choice and affordability, alternatives to incarceration, economic development that makes use of existing infrastructure

Gwen Wilkinson

District Attorney

Gwen was elected in 2005 on a platform of accessibility and accountability. She has practiced law since 1990 and was an ADA from 1991 until 1996. After that, she worked as counsel to the Department of Social Services.

Gwen's term so far has been committed to her goals of prosecuting crimes against children and domestic violence to the fullest extent of the law, improving the office's relationship with Drug Court and the County Legislature, and working more efficiently with the resources at hand to see that justice is done.

When she ran in 2005, Gwen said,

I firmly believe in the principle of even-handed prosecution. The criminal justice system is not perfect, and I cannot promise to make it perfect. I can, however, promise to do everything in my power as District Attorney to make Tompkins County an even playing field.

Key interests: prosecuting neighborhood crimes, protecting children and families, eliminating inefficiencies

Peter Meskill

Sheriff

Peter Meskill has been Tompkins County Sheriff since 1998. In that time, he has eliminated budget overruns, increased training, focused the department's attention on DWI and other traffic-related offenses, and reached out to the community through public safety education programs.

When announcing his candidacy in 2006, Peter said:

My focus will be to continue to provide strong leadership, even better management and professionalism within our role to promote, preserve and protect those things that make living in Tompkins County so special.

Key interests: promoting, preserving, and protecting the quality of life for residents of Tompkins County

Mary Ellen Bossack

Village Trustee

Mary Ellen is in her third term on the Dryden Village Board. She also works for the Dryden School District as a counselor and is a negotiator for the Dryden Faculty Association. She is Village liaison to the Planning Board, a job she takes very seriously.

When she ran in 2006, Mary Ellen said:

Our Village Board must communicate more effectively with residents and set clearer priorities during budget season. We must post village positions rather than filling them without public scrutiny. We should work cooperatively with landlords and tenants to make rental housing safe and attractive. We must work more productively with the Town and resolve plans for a new water treatment plant before we are priced right out of the market.

Key interests: better communication with residents, creative financing for costly projects, and open, transparent government

Contact information:
Phone: 844-3673