Chili Primary Pits Dunning Against Ferlicca CHILI, NY (WXXI) - Several towns across the county will be the site of primary contests on Tuesday, and Chili is among them. There, incumbent supervisor David Dunning is going up against lawyer John Ferlicca in the Republican primary.

Dunning says his chief asset going into the race is his creativity and openness.

"Nothing is off-limits until you tell me something just can't be done, or it's not feasible, it's not right and it's not in the best interests of the town of Chili. I like to be open to out-of-the-box thinking and I will listen to anything and everything anybody has to say."

Dunning says he strives to keep taxes low by combining services, while coping with unfunded mandates. He says his proposed 2010 budget reduces spending, with no anticipated tax increase.

His opponent, John Ferlicca, sees a different set of issues. He says development and preserving open space are at the top of his agenda. And he says he represents an alternative to what he calls Dunning's "business as usual" approach.

"It's not about serving the boss, it's not about keeping the job, it's not about lining your pockets. Being in local government is about serving the public. And these are attributes that I have that I certainly have not seen displayed by Mr. Dunning."

The Chili race is notable because Dunning took office as a Democrat after successfully beating the incumbent in the supervisor race in 2007. Within months of taking office he switched parties and became a Republican.

When asked about his affiliation switch Dunning told WXXI that he quote "doesn't want to go there" and that he's "done with that issue."

Polls are open Tuesday from noon until nine at the Chili Town Hall.
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