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Rauber Hill Sunrise, by Mel Hunt

An Interview: Adam Cyr Wants Your Vote For Allegany County Legislator in District 3

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Running a construction company isn’t for the faint of heart, how do you balance the physical work with the behind the scenes business demands?

Cyr: You are right, a construction business is not for the faint of heart! There are three key strategies I use. First, I start my day at 3 AM and I finish at 9 PM each day including weekends. Second, my wife is the backbone of our company, her support and intelligence are amazing. Third, my foreman and right hand, Rudy, has taken a major role in my company; he is basically a mini me, he makes me so proud.

     The incumbents District 3 are long standing members of the legislature.  What compliments can you give Deb Root, Bill Dibble, and Dwight Fanton for their years of service?  How about constructive(no pun intended) criticism ?

I would commend the current district 3 legislators, for their community service, they have a thankless job that pays little. We have come to a point in time, where we need ambitious people, that can breathe fresh new ideas into Allegany County.

     The Allegany County Republican party has held power in Allegany county for both of our entire lives, outside of a few longtime Democratic mayors like Bob Gardner of Wellsville and Terry Schmelzer of Belmont.  Considering the decline over the last four decades, has the lack of opposition been part of the lack of results?  

Cyr: I will first state I am a Republican to the bone. I will be completely honest; I do not know why we have party lines on a town and county level? It makes zero sense. When Republicans vote on June 22nd, they are going to vote for the person who they think can do the job best. This should not be me against you, this should be fellow county members getting together and making the right decisions that will impact all of us. I have no problem reaching out to Democrats in Albany asking them for money to better my county! Allegany County is just a little tiny dot on a map in a prominently democrat state, if the future represents the past Albany is in no hurry to give us anything.

     Nepotism in Allegany County has been described as both a ‘big problem’, and ‘unavoidable’ because we have a very small population and many families have generational traditions of serving the county.  Should we have a strict ban on nepotism(and how far should that go because I have over 100 second and third cousins in this county) or should there be a clear standard of exceptions?  

Cyr: Nepotism comes up a lot, it is a difficult subject to address, but I will make my feelings loud and clear. Some cases it was the wrong decision; however, in other cases it was the best decision. There needs to be an equal opportunity process where all newspapers and Internet links are notified, and the vetting begins. Then determine who is the best candidate for the position. In a small county like this, more likely than not, the best candidate is going to be a family member. I have seen applicants go to the bottom of the pile because they were not. That is wrong, and I will call it out!


         It seems ‘en vogue’ to frame politicians goals or achievements in the, “First 100 days”.  If you are elected, what will Adam Cyr be focused on in the first 100 days?

Cyr: My first hundred days will be a total learning curve for me, I know the private sector inside and out. I know what it takes to pay my bills on time, I know what it is like to employ people, but I know the public sector is totally different! I would like to see this county run like a hundred million dollar a year corporation. If this county makes money everybody stays and everybody is happy, we have the quality of life that we will have not seen in a long time. But to really answer your question. I will work my butt off, to see that no more businesses fold up in this county!

     District 3 is a big place with different populations and histories.  Bolivar and Richburg were thriving oil towns,  Alma was built on timber, and Scio has been part of the ‘bread basket’ of this county since day one.  Willing, Independence, and Whitesville are themselves unique in topography and history.  Explain why you are the guy to help manage this vast and dynamic district ?

It is a unique demographic, my first goal is to support all small business in every way and anyway, let us make sure we are not going to lose any more businesses in this county. I cannot emphasize enough how much this has to stop.

      The Town of Alma within District 3, has been in a state of political and legal chaos since before the pandemic.  Lawsuits, state investigations, hostile public meetings, and a shell shocked community.   How well versed are you on the state of affairs in Alma since 2018 ?  What would you bring to the table to move Alma past these chaotic and costly conflicts?

Cyr: The town of Alma is a hot mess right now. I do believe there are some candidates running that care deeply for their community and want to make it a better place for a future generations. Alma is a beautiful area; things are going to turn around!

     The Great Lakes Cheese incident has really exposed the development capabilities of Allegany County, at least in terms of projects of that size and scope.  What do we as a county need to do in order to improve our ability to attract and facilitate development that will grow our county economy? 

Cyr: On the topic of Great Lakes cheese corporation. I am not going to play the blame game, that accomplishes nothing. I embrace solutions, not problems! Words cannot even begin to describe how angry I am about that situation. 261 jobs destroyed, another 200 in development dissolved instantly! Over $1 million a month in payroll eliminated instantly. What I would like my readers to understand in my thinking, is that when an employee cashes their paycheck; that money changes hands approximately seven times before it leaves Allegany County. Think about that for a second! The other businesses that money passes onto which helps people to support and provide for their families is now gone.


    Allegany County has a growing fund balance, if you included the nine million in federal relief the county was granted, that number could be over fifty million dollars.  What are your thoughts how that balance should be treated and where should that nine million in federal relief be spent?

Cyr: There has to be a fund balance, in my business experience, I would say a third of the year’s budget, any economic relief money that has been passed on to our great county. I would play it right out of the Donald Trump handbook. That would be impower small business so they can succeed and grow. Then watch all the money come in. I witnessed it with my own business, when people felt secure, when people felt empowered, when people felt there was a future they wanted to invest. I also feel more investment needs to be made with first responders. The average person might not think a lot about first responders until they need them! I personally went through a house fire about four years ago, and I was blown away at the love and support from the first responders! They have to see and do things that nobody else wants to do.

     Your business has your acutely familiar with the lumber and construction material marketplace. When will the supply and demand function of that market stabilize and see prices back in ‘pre-pandemic’ levels?

Cyr: I am extremely humbled with the current situation. I have had to learn and adapt in ways that I have never had to before; running a business in this pandemic. We are getting through it; I never took one dime from PPP we got through it, and we are immensely proud of that fact! There were a lot of unfortunate ones that did not; and my thoughts and prayers go out to those businesses. My prediction on lumber prices and materials dropping to pre-pandemic levels, six years! So, we need to suck it up and do what the depression generation did. Work hard every day and get through it better than we started! None of us signed up for this but this is the hand we were dealt.

     Which national politician has most influenced your approach to government and why?

Cyr: That is the easiest question I have had so far, Donald Trump! He went into his presidency be holding to nobody! And that is what I am going to do. I saved diligently to put out the best possible campaign I could. I was going to come out of the gate swinging, for one reason only. I do not do anything halfway, every time one of my signs got knocked down or stolen, I put two in its place. That is what you can expect from me.

     You constantly on the go with a business that works all over the county and WNY for that matter.  What is the best lunch possible in the county when you are on the go and need to eat while you hustle to the next jobsite?  

Cyr: Well, that is a trick question. My favorite lunch is what my wife puts in my lunchbox, usually leftovers from the night before; she is an amazing cook! We do frequent a lot of Allegany County restaurants, so I feel it would be unfair to say one is better than the other. You will, however see me buying coffee quite often, I would say I have acquired a taste for Texas Hot coffee.

  Cyr: I am very humbled and grateful for the opportunity to express my views. Let us make Allegany County great again! I would be extremely honored if you would vote for me on June 22nd, Adam B Cyr Allegany County legislator district 3.

Read our previous coverage of Mr. Cyr’s campaign


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