How to resolve AdBlock issue? MALTA – Town government must be more proactive in helping create and maintain private-sector jobs for town residents, according to a statement provided by Democratic candidates for supervisor and two Town Board seats.
“We need to take better advantage of the new Luther Forest technology park and other industries by reaching out to those industries and to the Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) TEC-SMART career education center here,” said Bill Breheny, candidate for supervisor. “What kinds of employees do businesses in Malta and surrounding communities need, and what kinds of training should those employees have? Let’s work with these businesses in a cooperative spirit.”
The other Democrats vying for seats on the town board are Tracy O’Rourke and Cynthia Young. A related goal of the candidates is to encourage good-paying jobs to help younger job seekers obtain affordable housing, remain in town, and raise their families in Malta.
They said the town should be investigating how solar power—harnessed by a booming, job-creating industry nationally—could be brought to more Malta homes, businesses and public facilities.
Another promising area is agriculture. Although the number of farms has decreased in Malta due to development and lower profitability in traditional agriculture, the town needs to encourage high-value agricultural products, according to the Democrats.
On the town’s remaining farmland and open space, a diverse array of products could be grown to sell to relatively new sectors such as microbreweries and farm-to-table networks. The town should consider establishing a permanent spot for a farmers’ market in Malta.
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