Dwyer wins Village of Monroe mayoral race

By Nancy Kriz
MONROE — Neil Dwyer defeated the incumbent mayor and a former mayor in the March 20 election and will become the new Village of Monroe mayor, beginning with an oath of office on March 30 and a formal swearing-in on April 2.
"On behalf of our team, Smart Growth, we would like to thank all our supporters, friends, and families for their encouragement, their friendship and their unselfish dedication to our campaign at every turn," the mayor-elect wrote in an email to The Photo News. "We are humbled by your energy and belief in us and our campaign."
Unofficial results show Dwyer received 428 votes in his win with incumbent Mayor James Purcell receiving 381 and John Karl, who is a past village mayor, receiving 135.
Voters picked Carey Alley and Dorey Houle to take the village board's two available trustee seats. Alley received 525 votes, followed by Houle with 495.
Incumbent trustee Wayne Chan placed third with 424, followed by Elizabeth Doherty with 199.
Building a more vibrant business districtDwyer said his first task is to work with the new and existing trustees to coordinate a coalition of small businesses throughout the village and start a dialogue that will lead to a stronger and more vibrant business district.
"Developing a strong relationship between Village Hall and our business community will be crucial to revitalization," he wrote. "Additionally, fostering a strong relationship among our neighboring municipalities will be paramount to a successful Village of Monroe. To that end, we will reach out to our neighbors and set the foundation of sharing resources while looking for opportunities to help each other continue positive growth."
Dwyer promised "an attentive ear" as the village board addresses current and new goals.
'Promote sustainable growth'"The coming weeks will bring many challenges and, with it, great opportunities for growth," he said in his email. "We look forward to the creation and implementation of committees and boards that will endeavor to promote sustainable growth for our village, as well as, responsible and transparent government."
The trio's Smart Growth ticket was endorsed by United Monroe.