Politics & Government

Lawrence Village Board Candidate: Michael Fragin

Three people are running for two seats in an at-large election for Lawrence Village trustee on Tuesday. Terms last two years.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Lawrence Village Hall.

Michael Fragin, who is seeking another term, sent the following responses to Patch’s candidate questionnaire.

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Tell us about yourself (age, town, profession, family, etc.).

I am 39 years old and I have called Lawrence home since 1999. I am married with six children ages 16 to 1. I am strategic communications consultant and investor.

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Why are you running for the village board?

I have served on the board of trustees since 2008 and I have a strong background in government and public service.

What qualifies you to serve on the village board?

I have a decade of experience in government. I have an extensive roster of connections that have already brought significant benefits to the village.

I am the only candidate on the ballot with any hands-on experience in government and I am the only member of the current board with any experience in government.

I have served the village in many capacities even before I became a trustee and I attended village meetings regularly before running for office. Neither of the other candidates have ever attended a village trustee meeting, they have never served on any village boards and to my knowledge have no familiarity with village government. Historically it was a given that no one would run for office without serving in some capacity.

This is not to downplay their desire to serve the public, but I am confident that I am the most qualified.

What is your opinion of the budget that was recently passed by the village board? What you have done something differently with it?

The village should have cut taxes more over the past few years. I believe that the budget was created in an arbitrary fashion in order to keep the tax rate flat. The village is holding too much taxpayer money for too long with very little justification.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing the village?

As we have seen the village is not prepared for major emergency that knocks out power and communications for an extended period of time. We lack a comprehensive emergency plan and an effective evacuation route.

What is the village’s greatest strength and weakness?

Our village is a beautiful place to live but we need to work hard and diligently to maintain it. There are issues with day workers that congregate along Doughty Boulevard. Crime is a continuing issue. Last week my garage was broken into and my bicycles were stolen.

If you are elected, what is the one thing you’d like to see accomplished during your term?

I want to make government more accessible by using technology. We should be able to pay parking tickets online. Apply for permits online. Pay for meter parking by phone. Find out what is going on in the village online. We are in the year 2013 and the village does not use all the available tools to communicate.

Would you like to add anything else?

We need to invest in our infrastructure; roads — both inside and outside the village; parks — for a community with so many young children our playground options are woefully inadequate; flooding — we need to invest in pumps and other devices to deal with our many flooded streets.

The traffic situation on Rockaway Turnpike has reached the unbearable stage. It must be addressed.


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