In both New Paltz and Highland, the November election will feature but one name on the line for town clerk. Despite the fact that both Rosanna Mazzacarri, of New Paltz, and Rosalie Peplow, of Highland, will run unopposed, this paper asked them both about how they would deal with their responsibilities if elected.
Highland’s clerk keeps on keeping on
Peplow should be a familiar face to many people in Highland and the Town of Lloyd — she’s served in the town clerk’s office for 25 years, starting in 1985 as the deputy clerk.
“It doesn’t seem possible,” the candidate joked. “The years have just flown by.”
Originally from the Bronx, Peplow has lived in the Town of Lloyd since the late 1960s. Outside of her work as clerk, she’s also been involved in the town’s historical society and worked as the secretary for the Bob Shepard Highland Landing Park Association.
For Peplow, one of the biggest parts of her job is helping people and making sure they get what they want. Town clerks are often on the front lines, and they can be one of the only municipal officials an average citizen sees. They take notes at meetings, create minutes, help the Average Joe with tax questions, answer phones and help people with Freedom of Information Law requests.
“I’m honored to be running for town clerk,” she said. “I’m looking forward to working with a new Town Board.”
One thing that Peplow said she’d like to focus on in her next term as Lloyd town clerk is making sure that record keeping is up to snuff. “There are a lot of records that still need to be re-filed,” she said.
New Paltz clerk candidate looks to keep ship steady
Despite her young age, Mazzacarri has been in the Town of New Paltz clerk’s office for a surprisingly long time. Nearly eleven years ago, the candidate started up in the town clerk’s office as a New Paltz Central High School student volunteer looking for community service hours.
“I was hired part-time when I was finishing high school,” she explained. However, something about the position stuck with her, and Mazzacarri kept coming back even during college — first at Siena College and then at SUNY New Paltz.
In 2004, she came on as a full-time employee of the clerk’s office while she was still a full-time college student. Currently, she’s the deputy town clerk — and Mazzacarri has some fans in high places. Her current boss, the outgoing Town Clerk Marian Cappillino, who is stepping down after years of service, has praised her highly. Local Republicans and Democrats have both endorsed her.
For the most part, the deputy clerk said she’d like to make sure that townspeople in New Paltz have pretty much the same experience they’ve always had at the clerk’s office. She’d like to retain what’s working and make sure that people have access to the help and information they need.
Asked why she decided to run, Mazzacarri said it seemed like a natural progression. “Well, I feel like it is the next step,” she said, adding that the last decade in the office has given her the skills she needs to succeed. “Honestly, I don’t think really that anyone else has the experience.” ++
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