This November, four candidates will vie for two open seats on the Lloyd Town Board. Incumbents Kevin Brennie and Jeff Paladino are running along with Frank Lombardi and Joe Indelicato. Here are their responses to questions from the New Paltz Times.
Kevin Brennie
Kevin Brennie was endorsed by the Republican Party to run for a second term as a Lloyd town councilman.
Why did you decide to run for a second term as town councilman?
Deciding to run for a second term was an easy decision, considering the quality people we have on our Town Board today. All of the progress we have made towards maintaining a more open and transparent Town Board has really paid off for our community. Also, I consider it a privilege and an honor to represent this town. I get a lot of joy knowing I’ve made a contribution towards working to make this the best town in Ulster County to raise my family in.
What positions/experiences/skills do you believe will make you a competent councilman?
I have had the great experience of creating and operating five small businesses in Highland over the last 20 years. What I have brought to this board is a sensible attitude toward spending the taxpayers’ money. As I had said other times publicly, the hardest part in deciding how to spend the taxpayers’ money is knowing what is a “want” and what is a “need.” Anyone who owns their own business realizes this is a skill and that experience counts and is necessary in making those distinctions. I feel this is the strongest asset that I bring to the Town Board.
What is your opinion of the draft Comprehensive Plan, in light of recent concerns/criticisms coming from Scenic Hudson and others?
I am very impressed with the draft Comprehensive Plan. Most impressive is the fact that the committee is made of many non-elected citizens who are stepping up and making sure this document is a balance between the taxpayer and the homeowner. One thing you learn early in business and the political world is: You will never please everybody. Someone is always going to be not in favor of something. Like I do with all decisions I have made in the past, I gather as much information as I can from everywhere I can, and I make the best decision I feel will help this town move forward into the future.
How do you believe Highland can best harness ecotourism with the half-million visitors coming to the Walkway Over the Hudson each year, as well as the extensions to your rail trail and the soon-to-be-opened Highland Landing Park along the Hudson River to bring business/dollars into town?
The best way to tap into visitors coming to Highland to enjoy our parks is to embrace the new technologies and social media access that we find so helpful in other parts of our life. I believe communicating with our visitors in the most advanced way is the best way possible to capture people’s attention. The town needs to stay ahead of the trends instead of trying to play catch-up.
What do you see as the top three greatest challenges facing the Town of Lloyd right now?
The three greatest challenges facing our town are, first, control spending and staying under the two-percent cap. Second, continue policies of smart growth and attracting business to increase our tax base. Third, keeping people informed of the important local issues in town and encouraging more participation from the whole community.
If elected, what would be your top two priorities?
Two top priorities for me are to keep the town budget under the tax cap and continue to provide quality services that the people of this town have come to expect and deserve.
Jeff Paladino
Jeff Paladino was endorsed by the Republican Party to run for a second term as Lloyd town councilman.
Why did you decide to run for office for a second term?
To complete some of the tasks started, including the Comprehensive Plan, the Gateway rezoning and catching the economic opportunities that the Walkway and rail trail can offer to our town. I also want to continue to work with our “team.” I feel that we move things forward in a more businesslike manner without bogging down agendas and getting caught up in the red tape of bureaucracy, like government typically works.
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