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OSSINING, N.Y. Village trustee candidate Robert Fritsche would like to see Ossining become livelier, as it used to be when he was growing up.
"You used to be able to go down and shop. There was a pet store, a movie theater, clothing stores," Fritsche said.
Fritsche suggested giving tax incentives to attract more businesses to the village.
"I'm not here to be a lifetime politician," Fritsche said. "(Candidate Bob Terilli and I) are just two guys born and raised here who care about the village and we just want to somehow help out."
Fritsche is a registered Democrat, but he is running on the Republican and Conservative party lines for one of two village trustee seats. He and running mate Robert Terilli's opponents are Robert Daraio and Manuel Quezada who are running on the Democratic and Independence Party lines.
"I think at the village level it shouldn't be about parties, it should be about who's the best person to do the job," Fritsche said.
Fritsche, 51, is an electrician for Belway Electric based out of Elmsford. He belongs to the Local 3 electricians' union, and he has been a volunteer firefighter in Ossining for 32 years.
Fritsche said if he is elected, he would like to help the local government save money and cut unnecessary spending.
"Maybe we could consolidate buying power. Instead of the town buying something and the village buying something, we could buy together," the candidate said.
One example of unnecessary spending is the village's recent decision to spend $3,300 on wood-etched signs to direct people to the waterfront, Fritsche said.
"I don't think it's necessary, not right now," he said.
Fritsche said he thinks the waterfront is beautiful, but there isn't enough there right now to warrant the signs.
"I think more could be done to attract businesses and restaurants down there," he said. "The Boathouse (restaurant) is one little place. It's an example of what you could do down there."
The village trustee position is a part-time position that pays $8,000 per year.
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