Barbaria for Town Council
Electing Allyson Barbaria will give Republicans a majority on the Saugerties Town Council. Allyson is a lifelong Saugerties resident and a graduate of Saugerties High School. She is employed at the accounting firm Merck CPAs & Consultants in Kingston.
Between 1994 and 2004, Allyson spent time at home with her two small children while her husband attended extended law enforcement and military academies and two overseas deployments, including a deployment to Iraq in 2004.
Allyson has the ability to bring opposite opinions to the table and is a firm believer in fair play, equal opportunity, and is pro-education. She resides on Crescent Dr. with her husband of 23 years, Lou, and their three children; Louie, 21, Marcello, 19, a US Navy Seabee, and Giorgio, 6.
Fiscal responsibility
A recent State Comptroller report said the town of Saugerties may be under “significant fiscal stress” in 2015. This is likely the result of an explosion of town spending over the past decade. Since the incumbent councilwoman has been in office, town spending has exceeded the rate of inflation and property taxes (excluding highway & special districts) have more than doubled.
Allyson is a fiscal conservative and will use her work in the accounting field to do her best to keep the taxpayers’ hard earned money in their pockets, balancing the needs of the citizens with justifiable expenditures. Allyson will not be a “rubber stamp” for excessive and wasteful spending. She’ll look for innovative ways to reduce town government and save tax dollars.
Transparency
In recent years: the town removed $400,000 in county welfare and election charges from the budget; the Glasco Mini Park went $160,000 over budget; and, several elected officials and department heads received pay raises — all without taxpayers being given advance notice.
Allyson is a strong advocate of open government and will support measures to “let the sunshine in” on town operations. She believes residents must have the proper tools to monitor town government and by working together we can secure a strong financial future for Saugerties.
Dangerous narcotics
As a parent, Allyson is extremely concerned about the tidal wave of dangerous narcotics flooding Saugerties and the Hudson Valley. She has taken action as a private citizen to combat this problem. Once elected, Allyson will use the power of her office to bring even more attention and resources to this lethal epidemic which endangers the health and safety of our community.
Allyson Barbaria has the passion, experience and ability to be an outstanding member of the Saugerties Town Council. I urge all Saugerties residents to vote for Allyson on Tuesday, Nov. 3. To learn more about Allyson, visit her website: allysonforsaugerties.com.
Legislator Chris Allen – The public has the right to know!
All of Saugerties is aware of the shocking allegations that Legislator Chris Allen assaulted a school teacher in front of her students. Unfortunately, this is not the only shocking development regarding Allen.
Last month, I submitted a letter asking Allen why he abstained from a vote to approve a contract for a firm that handles Worker’s Compensation claims for the county. He failed to respond. However, I know the possible reason for his abstention.
I’ve heard from several people that Allen made public statements that he filed a Worker’s Compensation claim against Ulster County for an alleged injury on county property. I have never before heard of an elected official submitting such a claim.
If true, this is extremely disturbing behavior from someone who’s supposed to be working in the best interests of taxpayers. A search of the Ulster County Clerk’s online records shows Allen filed a similar civil suit against a local business in 2012.
I believe Allen owes the voters of County Legislative District 2 a response to either confirm or deny whether or not he filed a Worker’s Compensation claim against Ulster County.
-Joe Roberti Jr. is the chair of the Saugerties GOP