Seneca Falls deserves better.
Before I go any further, I have to start here: The town I grew up in has a lot going for it. There are a lot good people. People doing real, important work. Trying to move things forward. Trying to do right by the community and the people who call it home. There have been significant wins, too. Like those downtown over the last few years.
But that doesn’t mean the Town working for its residents.
And one of the most glaring problems — one that’s been obvious for as long as I’ve been in the seat I occupy now — is that the town’s deficiencies threaten to undo the progress those good people are working toward.
I haven’t been a reporter in years. But Seneca Falls is one of the only communities where people still consistently send me documents, emails, screenshots, and various accounts of their interactions with town government. Not just from this administration — but going back years.
That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when people feel like no one is listening. And that’s why I’m writing this today.
Over the weekend, the entire region learned the Town’s supervisor was arrested after an alleged incident involving another member of the Town Board. That process will play out in court, as it should. But, no matter the outcome — it’s an incredibly bad look for a community that’s had more than it’s fair share of bad news over the years.
But the real story is so much deeper than that. And goes so much further than one incident or administration.
Because in the weeks and months leading up to that moment, new warning signs were emerging. For some time it’s become clear the Town’s government is struggling to function. Day to day. The Town Board is regularly divided — beyond what one would expect for standard politics. The Town’s personnel management structure doesn’t seem to be working that well. And there’s a growing reliance on outside help to handle the basics.
For example, documents that were recently shared with me show the town is spending roughly $15,000 to $16,000 a month on a Pittsford-based accounting firm to keep up with month-to-month work. We’re not talking about a one-off expense. The total expenditure since the start of 2025 exceeds $240,000. That’s not a system working well for residents or taxpayers. Simultaneously, the town has remained several years behind on completing audits.
Then came a proposal to hire someone from the accounting firm already doing the Town’s monthly book work to serve as town manager, which predictably divided folks more.
None of this is new. If you’ve watched town government in Seneca Falls over the last decade you’ve seen this play out time and time again.
State comptroller audits going back years show the same pattern, over and over. Cash collections not properly tracked or documented. Hundreds of thousands of dollars handled without adequate records. Purchases made without proper competitive bidding. Professional service contracts awarded without meaningful competition. Credit card spending approved without documentation. There’s more than I can include in this Substack because your time as a reader is valuable — but if you want to see the audits click here.
Point being: Different reports, different years, and a lot of the same outcomes. Outcomes that show weak controls, poor oversight, and a serious lack of consistency.
It all creates a town government that just isn’t delivering for its residents.
That’s not politics. It’s a track record. So when people act surprised by what the whole region is getting to see play out before their eyes now — they shouldn’t be.
This is what happens when you normalize inconsistency. When leadership becomes reactive instead of accountable. When basic governance — financial controls, internal management, oversight — is treated like an afterthought instead of the foundation.
And while all of that is happening, the town continues to spin its wheels on high-profile issues like the landfill — important, yes — but nowhere near as urgent as the fundamental question it faces now: Can this Town actually govern itself?
Seneca Falls deserves better.
It deserves leadership that doesn’t just hold office, but actually works. Leadership that understands that competence isn’t optional. That internal controls matter. That transparency matters. That trust — once lost — is incredibly difficult to win back.
And it needs that leadership now.
Because this isn’t the first time an elected official here has faced legal trouble in Seneca Falls. It’s not the first time financial questions have been raised. And unless something changes, it won’t be the last.
There will be more scrutiny. There will be more audits. And if the pattern holds, there will be more findings.
Not because of one incident. Not because of one contract. Not because of one person. But because the town has allowed a culture of chaos and ‘good enough’ to take hold in places where neither is acceptable.
The last time I wrote something like this, I compared Seneca Falls to Newark. And the response from some people was like this: “Why do you hate Seneca Falls so much?”
That mindset — the defensiveness, the refusal to confront reality — is exactly what keeps a community stuck. This isn’t about tearing Seneca Falls down. It’s about refusing to pretend everything is fine when it clearly is not.
Moments like this tend to push people into corners. Into camps. Into narratives.
This can’t be one of those moments. Because what Seneca Falls needs right now isn’t more infighting. It isn’t louder personalities. It isn’t officials who become the story instead of doing the job.
It needs accountability. It needs stability. It needs people who understand that governing is not performative — it’s operational.
And yes — there are still good people doing good work. Holding things together. Holding the community together. Carrying far more than they should have to carry.
But that’s not a system. That’s a stopgap. And eventually those fail.
If someone doesn’t step up — and step up the right way — then all of that effort, all of that momentum, all of that human capital is at risk of being washed away.
Seneca Falls deserves better.
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