Photo submitted Tom Farley, left, is shown geocaching with his brother at the Three Falls Cache in Quehanna. Farley has served as a member of city council for the past eight years.

By Becky Polaski

Staff Writer

As the year comes to an end St. Marys resident Tom Farley is wrapping up eight years of service to the city as a member of the St. Marys City Council.

Farley was motivated to serve as a member of city council because he did not like the way the council meetings were being conducted prior to his first term.

“They were telecast live, which I thought was a good thing,” Farley explained. “What I didn’t like was the way they were conducted. The city manager, council members, city department heads and the city solicitor were all present. In my opinion it gave the appearance that council members were micro-managing the city department heads and the city manager was just a figurehead. My opinion is that the city manager is responsible for the operation of the city and is directed by council.”

Farley added that, watching the televised meetings, it seemed to him that many of the department heads did not want to be at the city council meetings.

“They were very indifferent as to the meeting process until a question was directed to them and at times stumbled around for a suitable answer when questioned by an attending citizen. My position is citizen’s questions or concerns about the operation of the city should be directed to the city manager. That way he is informed and kept in the information loop. He can then investigate any allegations or concerns with the appropriate department head and then provide an answer to the inquiring citizen,” Farley said. “If any disciplinary action is required then the city manager can apply the appropriate action. Before my first term, city department heads, mayor and manager were writing responsive ‘Letters To The Editor’ trying to defend their actions from letters written by citizens. This was irresponsible in my opinion and needed to cease.”

Having never previously served on city council or on any other boards in the community, Farley explained that he began his first term on city council with an open mind.

“I knew there would be two meetings a month and preparation would be required before each meeting. What I didn’t expect was the number of times I would be discussing various topics with city staff. These were very informative meetings and were a definite asset in making decisions,” Farley said. “I must stress that these meetings were one on one and it was I who was seeking additional opinions in order to help me form the best decision I could make.”

For Farley, one of the best parts of serving on city council was gaining perspective on other people’s points of view.  

“Everyone has their own opinion about a certain topic and doesn’t necessarily see the other side of an issue,” Farley noted. “That citizen’s view of a topic could be 180 degrees from the view of a council member.”

According to Farley, the biggest challenge facing all councils is maintaining a balanced budget without any tax increases but still maintaining the level of services that all of the citizens expect.

“No one likes to pay taxes but it is necessary to keep up with raising costs. Expenses for the city increase just as they do for everyone of us,” Farley said. “Should the city neglect to maintain a balanced budget and proceed down the deficit road then eventually the state steps in and does what is necessary to make the city solvent again. We have see this happen in several municipalities within the state.”

During his tenure on city council, Farley and the other members of council have been involved with creating several positions to aid in the continued growth of the city as well as with projects that have been implemented to benefit area residents. One major accomplishment that he mentioned was changes that were made to the intersection at Brusselles Street and South Michael Street. The turning radius at the intersection was improved, making it easier for truckers to negotiate the intersection.

Over the past eight years Farley noted that one of the most important things he has learned is you cannot get anything done without a group consensus.

“You can discuss your point and maybe change the mind of another person or perhaps your mind is changed. Although you may not agree with the final decision you need to learn that it is necessary to agree to disagree,” Farley said. “Once a decision has been made it is time to move forward to the next topic and not hold any grudges.”

Farley added that he would have like to have sought election to a third term on city council but the Home Rule Charter states that individuals are only allowed to serve two consecutive terms as mayor or a member of city council.

Along with his involvement on city council, Farley has been a member of The Singing Dutchmen for over 20 years.

“We provide entertainment for nursing homes, extended care facilities, high rise tenants, concerts with church choirs, banquets, etc. within Elk, Cameron and McKean county areas,” Farley explained. “We do not charge for our participation but depending upon the occasion we may ask for a small donation. This donation helps to defray the expenses of music purchase. We are especially active during the Christmas season. We also provide a music scholarship to a high school student from the three county area who plans to attend college and pursue a degree in music performance or music education.”

Farley is also a member of the St. Marys Servicemen’s Burial Detail, participating in funeral services for deceased veterans as well as in Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies.

Looking to the future, Farley noted that the completion of the Impact St. Marys project and filling all the lots in the industrial park at the airport will increase the city’s tax base, which will result in maintaining the current tax rate and current services.

“I would also like to see a grocery store located in the former Shop-N-Save building in the Bucktail plaza,” Farley said. “The city manager has been working diligently to fill this space but to date no grocery store will commit.”

For citizens unhappy with the current operation of the city, Farley encouraged them to become part of the solution and get involved.

“It is very easy to be a complainer,” Farley said. “If you want to complain you are free to do so, but I would ask that while you are complaining about a situation, how about providing a possible solution.”