Owego Town Councilman Castellucci 
Announces Re-Election Plans 

 Councilman Donald Castellucci, Jr., has announced his intention to seek  re-election to the Owego Town Board on the Republican and Conservative tickets. Castellucci was first elected in 1995, and was re-elected in 1999. 

 Concerned about future issues which will impact on the tax base of the  area, Castellucci said, "There is a growing need to hold local governments  accountable.  We must not rely on, or blame all our problems on, the State and the Federal government. Local economic development and zoning issues  will become increasingly important in determining both quality of life and  level of taxes. I hope to be able to help area residents become better  informed about issues affecting us all. Long-term solutions to area issues  shouldn't be solved by simply filling out a state or federal grant  application. Those solutions only postpone the day when fees and taxes are raised at all levels to pay for the easy solutions. The core causes of our  problems include dwindling populations, lowered family incomes, and shrinking numbers of employers. Raising taxes and fees can only make our  problems worse as time goes on." 

 Castellucci added, "Young people are the publicity focus of much news and  politics today. I hope to involve younger people in more than offering  their wish lists and suggestions. They need to understand the political  process and the complicated issues that are affected by it, long afterward.  We owe it to them to help them realize that programs bring consequences  that are often overlooked at the time they were implemented. They will be  the ones ultimately paying the largest share of the costs." 

 Castellucci, his wife, Vicki, and their two children live in Apalachin. He is employed by the New York State Insurance Fund.