AdkAction.org

A new non-partisan group has made its appearance in the Adirondacks. It's called AdkAction.org. Exactly how non-partisan the group is will unfold in the future. Here are the goals of the organization:

· Serve as a non-partisan issue-based forum for both permanent and seasonal Adirondack Park residents

· Support candidates who will press for adoption of the key AdkAction.org positions

· Oppose candidates who are against key AdkAction.org positions

· Gain enough influence to affect larger statewide issues, e.g., tax policy

· Create a community of common interests and an open democratic process to prioritize issues

The list also contains things that will make some local residents see red. Like support for the Community Store and the Adirondack Carousel. Here is the list of current key issues the group considers important:

· Consolidation of overlapping village, town and county services

· Broadband access throughout the Adirondacks

· Improved state planning and oversight of water quality, control of invasive species, and management of road salt and its environmental impacts

· Fair and consistent property assessments for all residents, both local and seasonal

· Strengthened enforcement of existing land and water use codes

· Elimination of State-imposed and unfunded mandates

· Property tax reform, including seeking alternative means to funding education and caps on property tax increases until a property is sold

· More projects that generate jobs and attract visitors, like the Community Store, Adirondack Carousel, etc.

· Control of boats moving from lakes with invasive species

· State tax-equivalent support for State land, equal to private taxation levies

· Control of “sprawl” through better planning and land use regulations, plus retail building and plaza size limits throughout the Park

· Park-wide standards for personal watercraft use

A pdf file of survey results can also be seen on the same web page as the key issues by clicking on the appropriate link.

The majority of the steering committee members of the group live on Upper Saranac Lake, on Lake Placid, Kiwassa Lake or Lake Colby. In other words - shore owners who may have an agenda different from other property owners. Being shore owners also implies a degree of wealth that the average Adirondacker does not have.

Joining the organization is not a matter of just saying I want to join. You need to fill out a survey form and contribute $75 or more.