GUEST VIEW: Rome will move ahead as community partners

EDITOR?S NOTE: We asked area leaders to share their vision for 2012 with readers. Today?s column is by Joseph R. Fusco, Jr., elected mayor of Rome in November. He begins a four-year term Jan. 1, 2012.

As the eve of 2011 fast approaches, I would like to take this time to wish everyone a blessed Merry Christmas and a very happy and healthy New Year ? as well as a sincere thank you to all who supported my campaign in one way or another. I truly appreciate the opportunity you have given me to serve my community in this vital capacity.?

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With the election process now behind us, I am looking forward to working with the many dedicated, talented and creative people in and around the Rome area. We will draw our community together into a strong cohesive group with a single goal etched into our hearts and minds: To formulate a new game plan that will blend successful methods of the past with new and fresh ideas to create a new and vibrant future, a future that will benefit everyone in our community!

First and foremost, with the help of my transition team, we will be formulating an overall strategic plan for Rome?s future. I am looking forward to working with our state and local economic development agencies to enhance an environment that will not only support new growth, but help to strengthen the businesses we already have. Preventing the people and businesses we have from leaving is every bit as important as bringing in new ones.

Another important part of the development puzzle will be finding new and more efficient ways to upgrade and improve our infrastructure. This goes hand-in-hand with another very important goal of creating a stronger housing market. This will be a critical step in rebuilding Rome?s population.?

As we make these needed improvements, I will encourage investors and builders to work together to create new housing opportunities to help retain our local families as well as enticing new families coming into the area to consider making Rome their new home. Finding creative ways of rebuilding our population is a task we can all help with and your ideas will be well received, so don?t hesitate to speak up.

On a more social note, another important aspect of my administration will be too strengthen and develop our sense of community pride. Getting involved with our community groups, clubs, sports organizations and the many foundations that we have is one way we can all add to the cultural fabric of Rome.?

We can also expand our support of the many wonderful and important institutions we have in Rome, such as the Capitol Theater, the Rome Art and Community Center, Jervis Library, the historical society ,our sports museum and the Erie Canal Village, to name a few.

It is crucial that we understand the importance of giving back to the community. Even more so, it?s important that we teach our children to do so as well, and the best way to do that is to lead by example!

With your help we can start by bringing back some of the traditional events of the past as well as creating new events for our younger generations to start building their own hometown memories.

Romans have always risen to the many challenges that have faced our community in the past, and I have the utmost confidence in the resolve and fortitude of our citizens. So as the New Year dawns, we must come together as a community and be ready, willing and able to make the necessary sacrifices and do what ever it takes to bring forth the change needed, to create a brighter future for the city of Rome, both socially and economically.

We have the ability to institute change; the challenge is to foster the desire.

Source: http://www.uticaod.com/opinion/x1569728431/GUEST-VIEW-Rome-will-move-ahead-as-community-partners

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