Part II: Plattsburgh Mayoral Candidates Rosenquest and Beebie discuss plans

PLATTSBURGH | As the two candidates for Plattsburgh mayor gear up for the November election, Republican nominee Scott Beebie said the city must focus on rebuilding after the devastation of COVID-19. After Democratic nominee, Chris Rosenquest released his plan for the city Beebie put out a press release dismissing the points. However, both candidates pledge to create a more transparent City Hall and they both want to take full advantage of the region's rich history, although their respective plans for the city focus on a different set of priorities to improve the city of Plattsburgh. In last week's Sun Community News report, Beebie touted his decades of law enforcement experience and the vast number of working relationships between himself and city leaders. Although he said this is one area in which they differ, Beebie added that there is a tough job ahead for whoever wins the election. "In this time of COVID, we have an opportunity to build better," he said. "Whoever takes over the seat in January is going to be left with a pile of ashes sitting at the door. [When] the mayor steps into the office in January, that's what he has to work with." After serving with the Plattsburgh City Police Department for 28 years, Beebie said he is in a unique position to help bridge the divide between law enforcement and marginalized groups. Although Plattsburgh may not have some of the issues bigger cities face, the killing of black men like George Floyd has been stoking tensions across the country. Gov. Andrew Cuomo directed municipalities to create review boards in order to examine use of force policies in police departments across the state. Plattsburgh's Safety Review Board is serving that purpose here, and Rosenquest said it is an important first step. Both candidates also say they will strive to create a city with more open and honest dialogue between the voters and the people elected to represent them. No cuts Beebie said rebuilding in the wake of COVID is the top priority for the city. With revenue taking a massive hit this year, there needs to be a regional approach to bring people to the area. "We can't cut anymore. There's nothing left in the budget to cut except people," said Beebie. It will be essential to bring all municipal and business leaders together if the region is going to recover, he said. While he admits it won't be an overnight fix, he said it will be possible if everyone comes together to find common ground. "Plattsburgh is more than a town and a city, it's a region. We need to sit down, shake hands, work together and help each other out, otherwise we're not going to survive this crisis," said Beebie. Utilizing our resources Rosenquest said we need to do more to fully utilize the resources we have in Plattsburgh. One example, he said, is the city beach. "I was just out there, it was full of people. Regardless of whether there's a lifeguard on duty or not, people are using that beach," said Rosenquest. "I believe it's the city's responsibility to say how do we then develop that resource to make it more attractive to people and visitors. We have a strong community of museums and museum owners and curators. I believe strongly that it's the city's responsibility to [support] these folks in what they're doing." By developing Plattsburgh's culture and scenery, he said the city can make Plattsburgh a tourist destination. For those that live here, Rosenquest said recreational resources also need to be maintained. "We've seen year after year a degradation of recreational services in the city. We have to figure out how [to] reinvent those services in a way that still provides that quality of life that people are expecting - especially when they're still paying the same amount of taxes."

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Part II: Plattsburgh Mayoral Candidates Rosenquest and Beebie discuss plans

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