The Max A. Shacknai Center for Outreach, Volunteerism and Education (COVE) lounge hosted a community Brown Bag event with three speakers from the Hamilton Board of Trustees on Tuesday, Sept. 30. Samanthi Martinez, Russell Lura and Julie Dudrick, three of four members of the Trustee Board, participated in a question-based discussion led by junior Jaden Coley, following a brief insight into their respective positions and oversights in Hamilton Village. 

Board member Russell Lura serves as the president of the Municipal Utilities Committee (MUC), which aids with policy-making regarding all utility decisions in Hamilton. Upon initially joining the Hamilton community, Lura taught at Colgate University for four years before becoming the county planning director for 25 years. Following his role as county planner, Lura became the county administrator before retiring and finally joining the Board of Trustees. He noted that this is his 60th year as a trustee and he plans to step down after the end of his term. 

Martinez moved to Hamilton with her husband and daughter in 2004. She joined the Board of Trustees in 2019 and currently serves as the Director of Madison Lane Apartments. On the Board, she is a liaison for parks and recreation, historical commissions and the library. She also noted that this will be her final year as a Trustee Board member. 

Martinez reflected on what motivated her to become a trustee.

“A village is a lot like a business,” Martinez said. “We take those services without often realizing what goes into making those services happen … Being able to see behind the scenes is really eye-opening.”

Julie Dudrick, trustee board member and current director of the Upstate Institute at Colgate, was initially appointed to the board in 2019. She has since served three terms and plans to continue her role on the board. Dudrick is a member of the village planning and the village zoning boards, both of which deal with land use policies in Hamilton. Alongside these roles, Dudrick also serves as liaison to the tree commission, the pedestrian commission and the Fourth of July celebration committee. Dudrick initially moved to Hamilton in 2001 with her husband, David Dudrick, who is a professor of philosophy at Colgate.

The Hamilton Board of Trustees serves several functions, including fiscal management of the village. The Board reviews bills paid on behalf of the village monthly, manages numerous properties in the Hamilton area, provides input on the use of public streets for events, enacts local ordinances and serves as liaisons between various community boards. The Board also serves to exercise checks and balances against any claims made against the village. 

“Our biggest responsibility really is to manage the money and property of the village, as we are the legislative body,” Dudrick said. “The fiscal responsibility that we all have as Board members is one that we take the most seriously.”

One point of discussion during the meeting was the impact of Colgate on the Village of Hamilton, specifically regarding utilities, and how the village’s taxes and funds are sourced through the university’s bills.

“Colgate is the biggest user of all our water, sewer, electricity and gas. And because you use so much, you have to pay a certain amount, so it’s going to have to come out of tuition at some point,” Lura said.

While the impacts of Board decisions are incredibly significant to the Hamilton community, the Trustees emphasized that the decision-making process for any policy or fiscal decision must consider long-term implications and quality of life. Martinez elaborated on this ethical approach.

“It’s not a decision I make today that will end tomorrow or next year — these are debts that will go on long after I’m gone,” Martinez said. “I know I have to be careful that not only as a taxpayer in the village but as someone who made that decision that it is not just sound, that it is compassionate and kind to the community as well.”  

Another topic discussed was the heightened tax rates on Hamilton residents, as the Village’s tax rates are some of the highest in all of Central New York due to a smaller non-student population and fewer properties. The trustees explored how the benefits of living in Hamilton are unique among comparable towns, even with its high tax rates. Services such as unlimited trash pickup and debt services were mentioned as highly valued resources.

“We provide so many services that most villages don’t,” Lura said. “Even though we have a larger debt, it’s paid by rates and not taxes. It ends up being quite manageable.”

Brown Bag discussions with local policy-makers are open to community members, students, faculty and anyone who is interested in learning more about the day-to-day decisions trustee members make.

Alongside these discussions, town council meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month. Attendance is encouraged for those who are interested in local happenings of Hamilton.