Gabby Cosentino For Seneca Falls Town Board

09/02/2026

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend tonight’s Town Board meeting. I ended up going to the hospital with my dad, and I’m incredibly grateful that he was there with me. Papa Cos has truly been a superstar these past few days.

Yesterday, he worked all day, brought me my medicine and the Town Board packet, dropped everything off for me, and then took my laundry home, washed it, dried it, and folded it.

This morning, he called nice and early to check on me (no, I didn’t answer 😂), worked all day, and then when I asked when he’d be done because I said, “I think I’m ready for a hospital trip,” he came through.

He brought back my folded laundry, drove me to the hospital, and sat there waiting with me for six hours.

I’m feeling incredibly thankful and lucky tonight — not only for my dad, but for everyone who has reached out, checked in, dropped off soup, and offered support over the past few days. It truly means more than you know. ❤️

I finally got some answers tonight, and I am so happy.

Thank you all for being so kind and supportive. ❤️

Lisa Cosentino - still went to the board meeting & was checking in on me as always

Emily - bringing HOMEMADE soup & Gatorade

Steph, Melissa, Rachel, Monica & Carol for answering the phone at all hours when I was upset / feeling sick 🤢

I am one lucky girl with such a great support system🫶

08/31/2026

Hello everyone,

I’ve been a bit under the weather these past few days, so my email and text responses have been taking a little longer than usual. I’ve been taking some time to rest and recover at my new home, keeping cozy with my sweet dog and the new cat who somehow found his way right into my heart. ❤️

If I’ve missed a message or haven’t gotten back to you, please don’t hesitate to reach out again by phone or text. I truly appreciate your patience and understanding.

I’m hoping to be well enough to attend tomorrow’s meeting, and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone if I’m able to make it.

My dad even picked up my meeting packet for me today and brought me some gummies I’ve been craving for when I’m feeling better. 🤧🫶

Thank you all for your kindness and understanding. I’m doing my best to rest up!

08/29/2026

A DOG WAS KILLED.

I am sick. I am absolutely distraught. And I am angry.

I feel like I failed this dog because I didn’t know this was happening. I didn’t know that a dog could be given 10 days and then euthanized simply because a home wasn’t found.

I will not be quiet about this.

A lost dog was found by the Seneca Falls Police Department and taken in. The Chief called me because the dog was found on Fall Street and looked like my dog.

It wasn’t my dog—but I appreciated that he took the time to call and check.

And then, honestly, I completely dropped the topic from my mind.

I assumed the dog would be safely held while someone searched for its owner.

I assumed that if the owner couldn’t be found, there would eventually be an opportunity for the dog to go to a loving home.

I assumed someone would step up.

I assumed wrong.

From what I understand, this dog was given 10 days.

A few people apparently met or looked at the dog, but no one took it home. I was told the dog was considered “too hyper.”

Let me rephrase that.

Because the dog was considered too hyper or undesirable by the people who encountered it during those 10 days, the dog was euthanized.

I am struggling to understand how we got here.

I looked at the dog control contract on Thursday. Nowhere in the contract I reviewed does it say that a dog found or brought in is to be euthanized simply because a home has not been found within 10 days.

From my understanding, the dog was euthanized Friday, 8/29/26. I originally thought it had happened Thursday, 8/28/26.

On 8/28/26, I went to my regular job and told my boss what had happened. I told her I thought this dog had been killed.

We both said the same thing:

We would have taken the dog.

But we thought it was already too late.

That same day, I reached out to my fellow board members. I was trying to confirm whether it was true that a dog had been euthanized. I also said that I wanted to discuss changing the dog control contract because what happened did not sit right with me.

I offered to start or head up a social media page specifically for found dogs.

My questions went unanswered.. one board member said they had no idea what I was talking about… I already knew that two other board members I had called earlier that day to tell them about the situation were also unaware!

How did I not know?

How did our community not know?

I have seen what social media can do for animals.

I have seen posts where an animal has hours or days left, and people immediately step up to foster, adopt, transport, donate, and save that animal.

So let me think out loud for a minute.

What if I lost my dog in Seneca Falls?

Do I have 10 days to find him?

What if I am on vacation? - What if I have no cell service on this vacation..

What if I am looking everywhere except the place where my dog was taken?

Do I only have 10 days to find him before his life is over?

Let me tell you something about my dog: he can be a rambunctious monster sometimes. Especially when he is scared, stressed, or in an unfamiliar environment.

So when I hear that this dog was considered “too hyper,” I can't stop thinking about that.

Of course this dog was uncomfortable.

Of course this dog was stressed.

It was lost. It was in an unfamiliar environment. It didn't know where it was, who was around it, or what was happening.

How can we judge a frightened, displaced animal based on how it behaves during the worst and most confusing time of its life?

That dog could have had a family desperately searching for it.

It could have been abandoned.

I don't know.

And honestly, at this point, I don't care which one it was.

That dog deserved more than 10 days.

That dog deserved a real opportunity.

That dog deserved someone to advocate for it.

That dog deserved more than a few social media posts that didn't even tell the public, “This dog has a limited amount of time left.”

I am heartbroken.

And yes, I feel responsible because I didn't know this was happening.

But I also know this:

There are people in this community who would have helped.

I know people who would have fostered this dog.

I know people who would have taken this dog.

I would have used my own personal vehicle to drive an animal to another county if that meant getting it into a shelter and giving it a chance at a new home.

I know Seneca County has struggled with dog control officers.

I know we don't have a traditional animal shelter.

I know there are challenges.

But those challenges cannot mean that an animal's life comes with a 10-day expiration date that the public doesn't even know about.

Ten days.

Ten days is not enough.

Not for a lost dog.

Not for a family trying to find their pet.

Not for a frightened animal that doesn't understand why it is suddenly somewhere unfamiliar.

And certainly not when the community isn't being given a clear opportunity to save that animal.

This dog was worth more than 10 days.

This dog was worth more than a couple of social media posts.

This dog was worth fighting for.

I am so sorry, sweet baby.

You deserved more.

And I promise I will not be quiet about this.

I will be asking questions.

I will be asking how this happened, what the current process is, what the contract actually requires, why the public wasn't made aware that this dog was at risk, and what we can do to make sure this doesn't happen again.

Because if there is a better way to do this, we need to find it.

And we need to find it now.

** in a previous board meeting we discussed a county dog shelter or a county dog control. It was shut down… but then I thought we found a resolution clearly I was wrong. I am so sorry to my community members and that dog.** 💔

08/24/2026

Out golfing today for Seneca County Children’s committee!!

So thankful to have been apart of this tournament from the very beginning. We have some great prizes & are so happy to spend the day with all of you.

Golfing for a cause!!

If you’re interested in joining this committee message me & I can get you to the right people!!!!

08/08/2026

I asked in the beginning.. then I waited until the end to present the board with their own copies of the resolution I brought with me to the board meeting.

We did vote on it. 3-2

I feel passionately about privilege of the floor being in the beginning of the meetings as parents might need to come in ask a question or share information on the agenda before we vote. These parents could have to get their children to sports practices or get home to cook dinner.

I also said we could do privilege of the floor in the beginning & the end. It should just take as long as it needs.

I also shared I felt the meeting was a bit more chatty from the crowd because we didn’t give them a chance to speak on the agenda items we were voting on.

I also shared I heard 2 crowd members raise good points & I wish we were able to hear them before voting

SENECA FALLS — After discussing whether to have public comment at the beginning or end of their meetings, the Town Board Tuesday heard from eight people on a variety of

08/05/2026

I just wanted to give our Highway Department a quick shout out!! ✨

I called Jeremy last night after the Town Board meeting at 9:36 pm. - we talked for 21 minutes.

Jeremy never rushed me off the phone, he explained things to me. It was late & he still took the time to talk with me after a long day of work & a long meeting.

I called to ask about the mulch for the trees downtown. We discussed..

This morning at 7:34am Jeremy texted me asking if I wanted him to do mulch today.. - I was asleep

Jeremy texted me again at 8:38am - “I’m sending a truck for mulch”

I didn’t even ask Jeremy to do this. I just asked a few questions on how to improve Fall St. It’s been a busy summer / year. The high way never got around to fixing the mulch.

I just came up to the office at work & I saw the highway department cleaning the tree beds so they can come back through later & mulch them all.

This shows if you talk to your employees nicely they want to do work for you & with you.

Shoutout to them for taking this initiative & getting this done! 👏👏

08/03/2026

08/03/2026

I had a busy afternoon, and I spent it looking for answers!!

I want transparency! I want fairness!

Today I met with the zoning officer, talked to Wendy. I went through the agenda with Jackson. Sent emails.

I also sat down with Melissa Brown. She printed old resolutions for me, and we went through them together with the big highlighter, line by line. I believe understanding the history is important if we're going to make informed decisions.

Has anyone else noticed that public comment has been moved to the end of board meetings? I don't support that change. If residents have something to say, I want to hear it before decisions are made. We're talking about your tax dollars and making decisions that affect our entire town. Your voice matters.

I've also reached out to former board members for advice and perspective. It's important to learn from those who have served before.

When I first took office, I received my committee assignments. I was given one committee that several people told me I received because I was considered "weak"—that I wouldn't notice if things went over my head and that it would be easy to slip things past me.

Instead, I worked hard. I invested countless hours into learning everything I could. I met multiple times with every member of that department because I wanted to understand the issues and do the job well. I genuinely cared, and I was proud of how much I learned.

A few weeks ago, I started noticing that something wasn't right. Employees also reached out to me with concerns. Then, a week or two later, I was removed from the committee without any explanation.

I've been reassigned, and that's okay. I'll put the same heart, time, and effort into my new committee because that's what the people who elected me deserve. But I do believe the way this was handled was unfair. It was also interesting to learn that former board members experienced similar situations.

Maybe hard work doesn't always get rewarded in politics. That's a disappointing lesson.

But I'm not here for recognition. I'm here to serve this community, ask questions, seek transparency, and do what's right—even when it's difficult.

I'll keep fighting the good ✊

07/27/2026

This month officially marks six months of serving the Town of Seneca Falls as one of your Town Board members.

I was elected on November 4, 2025, but I think there's one important thing that often gets overlooked: I wasn't sworn into office until January 6, 2026.

Some people seem to think I was voting and making decisions on November 5th, but that simply wasn't the case. While I was actively involved, making phone calls and helping residents however I could before taking office, I did not have a vote or any official authority until I was sworn in.

People ask me all the time how things are going, and my answer is always the same: I love this position. I love serving the town that I love living in, and I have absolutely no regrets about stepping into this role.

I do my best to stay active in our community and maintain open communication with everyone. Sometimes that's easier said than done. I work a full-time job, and like anyone else, I'm human. Occasionally I miss a meeting, forget to return a phone call, or don't get to my town email as quickly as I'd like.

One thing many people may not know is that our town email doesn't send notifications to our phones the way a personal Gmail account does. That means I don't always see your email the moment it's sent. I truly try to check my town email every day, but I'll also be the first to admit that I'm not perfect.

One thing I never expected when I ran for office was the number of threats or ultimatums that can come with the position. My campaign was centered around staying positive, improving the culture around local politics, and getting more people involved. I still try to lead with that same positivity every day, even when it's challenging.

Sometimes I receive emails that say things like, "If you don't respond within a certain amount of time, I'm going to the local news," or I'm asked to explain decisions that were made by previous Town Boards before I ever took office. I understand that people have questions and concerns, but I also hope people understand that I can only speak to the decisions I've been part of since being sworn in.

I'm also a 26-year-old woman who certainly doesn't have all the answers. What I can promise is that I will always do my research, listen, and do everything I can to help to the best of my ability. Sometimes I'll miss an email, a phone call, a text message, or even make a mistake. When that happens, I'll own it and keep working to do better.

If you know me personally, you know I'm often my own toughest critic. I'm learning to remind myself that I can only do so much in a day, a week, or a month—and that's okay.

Thank you to everyone who has believed in me, reached out for my help, and shown patience—not just with me, but with the entire Town Board. At the end of the day, we're residents of this community just like you, and every one of us is doing our best to serve this town we all care so deeply about.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve Seneca Falls. Here's to the next six months and beyond 🫶

07/24/2026

Town Councilman Puylara & I donated to the community garden it’s so cute!! Seneca County Community Garden