A Sad Farewell

Supervisor Jared Simpson and Town Board Member Terry Fennelly Recognized for Their Years of Dedicated Service to the Community

Supervisor Jared Simpson and Town Board Member Terry Fennelly display maps of Canandaigua Lake presented to them in recognition of their decades of service to the Town of Canandaigua

Monday night, December 22, 2025, was the final Town of Canandaigua Board Meeting for the year 2025 and the Onnalinda Room had more people in it than usual. Most of those present were there to witness the end of the terms of two individuals who have made significant contributions to our town, and to acknowledge and thank them for their years of dedicated service: Jared Simpson, Supervisor for the past four years and a Board Member before that, and Terry Fennelly, a Board Member since 2009 and prior to that a member of the Town of Canandaigua Planning Board for several years. Between these two individuals there lies a considerable wealth of knowledge and experience relative to the operation of the Town. These two gentlemen have helped guide our Town and have set the stage for future growth and prosperity for our Town. Their leadership and caring for our Town has been second to none. We as citizens of the Town of Canandaigua have much to be grateful for, that these men gave so much of themselves that others in our community would benefit from their efforts. Going forward, advances in the ability to grow our Town will be because of the efforts of these two gentlemen. Thank you, Jared and Terry.

Copies of the Town of Canandaigua's Official Acknowledgements recognizing the years of service and dedication to the Town can be found by clicking on the links below.

Supervisor Jared Simpson

Town Board Member Terry Fennelly

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My Opinion

This page wouldn't be complete without providing some background information on these two dedicated individuals.  Without their leadership and extensive knowledge of the Town and its workings much of the groundwork for the future grownth of our Town wouldn't have come to fruition.  As can be seen in the attached pages containing their goals for the Town and the resumes they presented for their re-election campaigns, the Town of Canandaigua has lost a great deal with their leaving. 

Supervisor Jared Simpson

Town Board Member Terry Fennelly

Now, as we bid farewell to Supervisor Simpson and Town Board Member Terry Fennelly, one is left to speculate on those individuals who will be taking their places. It takes more than a desire to succeed, it takes solid experience in corporate management and in civic governance.  It takes a true interest in the Town and its runnings.  It requires a knowledge of how the Town works, and what is expected in the duties of each member of the Team. 

Fortunately for our new incoming Supervisor and Town Board members there are staff members that will be able to take our new leaders by the hand and guide them, teaching them, as they go, what is involved in civic management. What is involved in running our Town.

I think back to something my son once told me as he went through Scout-Sniper training in the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton where he was stationed as a newly commissioned “butter-bar” 2nd Lieutenant: "The smartest, most knowledgeable person in the unit is not the new rookie officer, but the seasoned Sargeant. The new officer does him/her self and the unit the most benefit by listening to and learning from those that have field experience. To come in and try and change things to how you think it should be run can be disastrous, or even worse, fatal." Along this line of reasoning, it would be wise that our new Supervisor and Board Members hold their opinions and thoughts on change to themselves until they at least know how the present operation works. It will take more than a few weeks to absorb the intricacies of the Town’s operations; operations that have run very smoothly and like a well-oiled machine for the past four years. Too many companies, etc., have found themselves rudderless by new management that doesn’t know how the company works and/or doesn’t know or appreciate the value of the experience of the employees within it, yet this new management often makes changes to the detriment of the company.

We wish the new Supervisor and Town Board members the best. After all, they are in a position to either advance or recede all the good that has been accomplished during the past administration. The future of this Town rests on their shoulders. May they make wise, sensible and fiscally responsible decisions. May their decisions be for the benefit of all our Town and its future, that it be what the majority of our citizens desire and not for a select few. The next three years should be interesting. I hope they are up to the challenge; they have very large shoes to fill.

R. West, ToCRC Webmaster