Nevin Eklund

Nevin Eklund is the Democratic candidate for county legislator for District 3. The district includes the town of Pomfret outside of the village of Fredonia, and parts of the village of Fredonia.

He was born and raised in Jamestown and is the son of working-class parents. He graduated from Jamestown High School, SUNY Brockport majoring in economics and sociology and has a master’s degree from Canisius College in secondary education, certified in Social Studies.

Eklund’s focus is on creating conditions of prosperity for working people. After four decades where most workers’ wages have been relatively stagnant, while their productivity has continued to rise. This demonstrates that we need to return toward, at least, some of the economic philosophy of the New Deal. At the county level, helping create prosperity for working people will require attracting businesses to the county with good paying jobs. He would also want to create environmentally friendly jobs that will avoid additional environmental problems in the future.

Eklund said: “I want to work for a better county by 1) attracting more businesses to the county, to bring in better paying jobs. 2) Improving our roads and getting better at maintaining them. 3) Bringing back passenger traffic to the county airport. 4) Protecting our lakes, for economic as well as environmental reasons. 5) Finding more ways to attract more tourists to the county. 6) Establish places of recreation for our youth. And to do these things in the most reasonable and financially responsible manner that will effectively achieve these goals. We would also want to create environmentally friendly jobs that will avoid additional environmental problems in the future.”

Eklund has never believed that the government that governs least is the best. Instead, he believes that: the government that is best when the government that serves the people the best. That service must be based on science rooted in the evidence, sound reason, and common sense. That approach would require one to work in a reasonable and financially responsible manner.

He is retired but has held both blue-collar and white-collar jobs during his working career. This includes working at Vac Air Alloys in Frewsburg, as an RA at Job Corps in Cassadaga and a substitute teacher for several school districts. He most recently worked in the Portland and Fredonia group homes of a private agency that cares for people with developmental disabilities. He still does occasional relief work at the agency’s group home in Portland.

He has a long history of being a Chautauqua County resident. He has lived almost all of his life in this county. In 1984 he moved with his wife and family to Lily Dale where he resides to this day.

The UAW has endorsed him, and he does support the autoworkers in their strike. He also has the endorsement of the Sierra Club, in the effort to protect our environment.

“I would appreciate your vote,” he said. “Thank you.”