Amy Heutmaker

Russell Township residents have been asking for better fiscal transparency. So have I. For too long, questions about township finances have been met with incomplete answers, limited explanations, and processes that leave residents trying to piece together how public money is being managed. These concerns are not new. They have been raised by residents, department heads, and even our chiefs. At a public meeting, our Fire Chief stated that he did not have a clear view of his department’s...

Photo: Irondequoit, New York DPW fire. I was there as a firefighter. I was in the bucket. I do not ever want to see this happen in Russell Township. Some images stay with you. For me, this is one of them. The photo above is from the Irondequoit Department of Public Works fire. I responded to that fire as a firefighter, and I was in the bucket. It was a long night. It was dangerous, dirty, and filled with airborne contaminants. Public works buildings are not ordinary garages. They contain...

Fiscal Officer Walder, As you prepare to leave your role as Russell Township Fiscal Officer, I am asking for one final act of public service: please reconcile the financial events surrounding last year’s police levy and this year’s carryover, in public, at a Board of Trustees meeting. That is it. That is my ask. For months, I have asked questions by email and in open meetings about the township’s financial position, the police levy forecast, the 2025 year-end carryover, the 2026 Certificate...