Three candidates are vying to be the next supervisor in the Town of New Paltz. Seeking to secure the position are incumbent Neil Bettez, town council member Marty Irwin and independent activist MaryAnn Tozzi. The winner will be the first supervisor to serve for four years, thanks to a ballot initiative passed by voters last year.
Bettez is finishing his first two-year term in office, and defeated Irwin in the town’s first-ever Democratic primary to obtain that nomination. A scientist by profession, his first term has been characterized by a closer village-town relationship and numerous infrastructure challenges.
If elected, Bettez wants to continue collaborating with village and SUNY officials on joint projects, find a permanent solution to the trailers on Clearwater Road being rented as town offices and expand services such as addiction support and affordable-housing opportunities.
Bettez is running on the Democrat and Working Families party lines.
Irwin, whose career was largely in developing housing complexes including those for senior citizens, is in the middle of his first elected term on the council. He is a former chairman of the New Paltz Clean Water and Open Space Committee, and serves as liaison of the town council to that body. He describes himself as a fiscal conservative.
If elected, Irwin wants to get a new municipal center built, improve what he believes is insufficient transparency in local government and rely more extensively on the expertise of town employees. He believes a new comprehensive plan could make it easier to reduce taxes through more commercial development.
Irwin is running on the Independence and Women’s Equality party lines.
Tozzi has never served in elected office before, but has been in the public spotlight, most notably as a crossing guard by the middle school, a role she initially took upon herself when local officials couldn’t agree upon a plan to pay someone for the work. She is a lifelong resident of the town.
If elected, Tozzi will work to ensure that residents are heard by their elected officials, which she believes is lacking at this time. Her efforts will focus on listening to a wide variety of stakeholders, including those whose voices she feels are not always heard on Clearwater Road.
Tozzi is running on the Crosswalk party line.
Three candidates are seeking to fill the two seats on the town council which are up this year in New Paltz. Seeking four-year terms on the board are incumbent Daniel Torres, as well as challengers David Brownstein and Jennifer Ippolito. Jeff Logan is not seeking another term; he was first elected in 2008 to fill the last year of an unexpired term.
Brownstein, owner of the outdoor education company Wild Earth, is a newcomer to local politics. His decision to run is underpinned by a belief in the importance of local government, and a desire to see more thoughtful, reflective discussions at town meetings. After a national election in which “it was clear to me that the American people were angry, divided, and ultimately, had no confidence in our existing government,” he was “surprised and dismayed” by the “lack of decorum” at the council table.
Among the challenges Brownstein expects to tackle are the creation of a joint municipal center and finalizing zoning for the gateway corridor that runs along Route 299 past the Thruway. “In the absence of a full review of our master plan (which does not seem likely at this time), I am quite pleased that the Route 299 Gateway Committee has begun an inclusive planning process that addresses this important region of New Paltz,” he wrote.
Brownstein’s name will be on the Democratic and Working Families party lines.
Torres is seeking his second term on the town council after serving one on the school board. The lifelong resident has worked in government and nonprofit administration, and touts his status as a town homeowner and proud resident as giving him an important perspective for the position.
If reelected, Torres intends on finding ways to improve and maintain infrastructure in the context of smart planning for the future, while reining in property taxes. He expects that will come from more closer collaboration with village and other local government officials. Such projects have been encouraged in recent years through grant programs. He has also been outspoken about the need for environmentally-focused residents to be appointed to the planning board, making conservation central to the process.
Torres’ name will appear on the Democratic and Working Families party lines.
Ippolito, a teacher who was the original owner of the Cheese Plate, is a lifelong resident of the town who has worked closely with members of the immigrant community. She believes her diverse experience has developed her skills in “evaluation of systems/policies/costs for opportunities to save money, adherence to compliance and efficiency as required by policy and regulation, [and] excellent communication and interpersonal skills leading to effective and respectful collaboration with all parties to come to a favorable and balanced agreement.”
A top priority, should she be elected, are to address the rise of property taxes in New Paltz, and the disproportionate impact a rising cost of living has on senior citizens and members of other vulnerable populations. For Ippolito, that does not necessarily mean moving in lockstep with village leaders.
Ippolito is running on the Independence party line.
Two candidates are vying for the position of town justice of New Paltz. Incumbent Jonathan Katz is facing off with activist attorney Celeste Tesoriero for the four-year position overseeing town courts.
Katz, a divorce attorney, is a 22-year veteran in the position. He does not see much value in writing decisions at the local court level, where proceedings are relatively intimate and generally held with clients present. He supports judicial independence in matters such as allowing adjournments and accepting legal tender in payment for fines.
Katz is running on the Democrat and Independence party lines.
Tesoriero practices in the areas of immigration and landlord/tenant disputes. She considers written decisions an important part of establishing case law, minimizing adjournments because of their impact on the opposing party, not requiring civil parties to necessarily appear to agree to settlements, and considers the present ban on cash payments at court to be both illegal and unduly burdensome.
Tesoriero is running on the Green party line.
Chris Marx is running unopposed for highway superintendent on the Democratic, Independence, and Working Families party lines. He did not provide answers to candidate questions in time for publication.
In district 17 of the county legislature, which includes much of New Paltz outside of the village and a portion of Esopus, first-term legislator Jim Delaune is running unchallenged for a second term. In his day job, he’s executive director of the Orange County Land Trust.
Hector Rodriguez is running unopposed for a seventh two-year term in the legislature, representing district 20, which includes New Paltz’s village and the adjacent Cherry Hill neighborhood. He is presently minority leader of that body.
Neither New Paltz legislator has accepted invitations to attend town or village board meetings in recent memory.
To read in-depth profiles about all the candidates running for office in New Paltz, visit hudsonvalleyone.com.
Lloyd candidates’ guide 2017
Two candidates are vying to be the supervisor in the Town of Lloyd. Seeking the two-year post in the November 7 election are the incumbent, Paul Hansut, and planning board member Fred Pizzuto.
Hansut served two terms in the county legislature, including a stint as chairman, before winning the supervisor position, which he has now held for six years. A lifelong resident, he worked as a police officer in Poughkeepsie until his retirement, and operates a dry-cleaning business in Highland.
If elected, Hansut intends on continuing to find ways to provided needed services within the state tax cap, which is frequently less than the two-percent increases with which it’s associated. With more effort being made to entice visitors down from the Walkway Over the Hudson, he also would focus on improving sidewalks in the hamlet and otherwise adapting to an increase in non-motorized and tourist traffic generally.
Pizzuto served on the town council some years ago, and sees a level of tension in that body now which he believes he can address. The lifetime resident believes he can run an inclusive government that provides voice for all stakeholders.
Aligning zoning with the comprehensive plan is critical in his opinion, because it strengthens the position of planning board members in forcing concessions from developers. If elected, he would also work to impose stronger fiscal controls, while at the same time improving relations with the many employees and volunteers which keep the town’s government operating.
Five candidates are seeking to fill the two open seats on the town council which are up this year in Lloyd. Seeking four-year terms on the board are David Plavchak, Scott McCarthy, Claire Winslow, Leonard Auchmoody, and Christina DeMaio. Incumbents Jeffrey Paladino and Kevin Brennie are not seeking reelection.
Plavchak is current chairman of the town’s planning board. The 40-year resident is an employee of IBM with plans to retire in 2018. A regular face at town council meetings, Plavchak will draw upon his observations, experience on the planning board, and leadership roles he’s held at IBM to influence the town’s direction.
Plavchak believes that balancing the cost of living — particularly taxes — with the need to preserve and expand infrastructure is a top priority; he believes shared services and “letting investors know we are open for business” will help on that score. However, he’s also mindful of the need to retain a rural character even as the commercial base is expanded. Supporting law enforcement efforts to stem the tide of illegal drugs is another priority he holds.
Plavchak will be on the Republican and Lloyd 21st Century party lines.
McCarthy’s decision to run was prompted by what he saw as dysfunction in town government, with example number one being the two-year fight to revise the tow-list law, a debate which resulted in accusations leveled at several council members, including the supervisor. McCarthy would like to see more accountability for elected officials and town department heads alike.
Drawing on his construction experience, McCarthy would focus on managing record residential growth in the town while fostering a blooming tourism trade. The opioid crisis which has reached into Lloyd also deeply concerns him.
McCarthy is running on the Democrat and Working Families party lines.
Winslow, a lifelong resident of the town, is owner of the Would restaurant. She first threw her hat into the political ring two years ago when she challenged Paul Hansut for town supervisor in a close race. Winslow carries a concern about the types of development proposed in the town during the present boom.
If elected, Winslow would like to see better implementation of the master plan through zoning code changes, encourage a different mix of developments that don’t require more services than are paid for, and a more open local government.
Winslow is running on the Democrat and Working Families party lines.
Auchmoody, presently the project manager overseeing the completion of Bob Shepard Highland Landing Park, is a longtime civic volunteer who owns an excavating company. The lifelong resident notes that his work at the park has bolstered his experience in managing budgets and administering grants, and demonstrates his ability to work with others. He serves on the town committee overseeing water, sewers and drainage issues.
Like many of those running this year, if elected Auchmoody hopes to be a calming presence that will unify members of the town council on common goals. Those goals, in his mind, should include capitalizing on increasing tourism, which in part means better sidewalks; water and sewer infrastructure is also important to Auchmoody, as future growth depends upon those systems.
While election rules preclude his name appearing this many times, Auchmoody is running under the Republican, Independence, Conservative and Lloyd 21st Century party banners.
DeMaio, a lifelong resident of the town, is active planning community events, as well as generally supporting the Highland Business Association and local fire company. She considers her experience in the legal field, working collaboratively and budgeting to be important for this position.
If elected, DeMaio’s priorities include keeping taxes down for residents by expanding commercial development along routes 299 and 44/55, building on the vibrant business atmosphere which has reemerged in the hamlet. The heroin epidemic concerns her, and she believes that solutions begin working with young people to change their attitudes toward the drug.
DeMaio is running on the Conservative and Independence party lines.
Two candidates are seeking the position of town clerk. Incumbent Rosaria Peplow is facing off with Christine Giangrasso for a four-year term in office.
Peplow has seen a number of changes in clerks’ responsibilities over the 30 years she has been in office, including managing dog licenses and being included, by virtue of having a nursing home in the community, in the state’s electronic death registration system. Many more records are now in electronic form than when she first took office, and she expects that transition to continue. In addition, requests for alternative methods of payment continue to emerge; these must be evaluated in a way that balances the convenience against the cost of adoption. She believes that as information officer, she should assist members of the public in framing requests to ensure they get the information they are seeking.
Peplow’s name will appear on the Democrat and Conservative party lines.
Giangrasso is a political newcomer who believes that significant changes must be made to bring the town clerk’s office into the 21st century. She anticipates that a growing population will result not only in more records to maintain, but more frequent requests to review those records. “The town clerk cannot interpret the law, but provide the request as the law has determined,” she wrote in response to a question about freedom-of-information requests. Additionally, she expects that even as technological innovations emerge, the standards for electronic record-keeping will become more codified and stringent. If elected, Giangrasso intends on opening the clerk’s office one Saturday morning a month, because there are “very few people” who find the standard weekday schedule convenient when applying for any town-issued licenses.
Giangrasso’s name will appear on the Republican and Lloyd 21st Century party lines.
Richard Klotz is running unopposed for another term as highway superintendent on the Democrat and Conservative party lines. He declined to respond to candidate questions.
Town justice Terry Elia is running unopposed on the Democrat, Republican, Conservative and Lloyd 21st Century party lines. His expressed opinions include supporting a system of centralized arraignments, replacing the present practice of police calling the local justices regardless of the hour, and then turning to justices from neighboring jurisdictions until one is located.
In district 9 of the county legislature, which includes portions of Lloyd and Plattekill, two candidates are contending for the position. Seeking a two-year term representing the area in Kingston are incumbent Herbert Litts III and Pamela Krimsky.
Litts is finishing his second term in the legislature, and served on the town council in Lloyd prior to that. A dairy farmer and licensed professional engineer, he worked for the state for over 30 years in both the Department of Transportation and Thruway Authority; he’s now involved with the bridge replacing the Tappan Zee.
Litts told the New Paltz Times in 2015 that he sees the legislature’s role as primarily fiscal, a challenge given the large amount of spending which is mandated by state and federal requirements. What flexibility exists in controlling spending must be balanced through smart and balanced economic growth to keep the burden on residents as low as possible.
Litts holds the Republican, Independence, Conservative, and Lloyd 21st Century party lines.
Krimsky is a ten-year resident of the district who became a member of Lloyd’s Democratic committee in 2014. A trained fine artist, she has taught art at all education levels. Krimsky identifies as a progressive — which her efforts on the Bernie Sanders and Zephyr Teachout campaigns bear out — but also as a fiscal conservative.
If elected, Krimsky plans on increasing transparency at the county level, improve protections for the environment and in the arena of human rights, and seek better-paying jobs to bring to the county.
Krimsky holds the Democrat and Working Families party lines.
In district 10 of the county legislature, which includes portions of Lloyd and Marlborough, two candidates are contending for the position. Seeking a two-year term representing the area in Kingston are incumbent Mary Beth Maio and challenger Russell Gilmore.
Maio has been a member of the legislature since 2010, prior to the redistricting called for under the county charter, and is presently majority leader of that body. She is regional manager at Wallkill Federal Savings & Loan in Milton. Her priorities for a next term include holding the line on county taxes while fostering economic growth.
Maio holds the Republican, Conservative, and Independence party lines.
Gilmore has been active in local government as a volunteer for some years, but not as an elected official. The five-year member of Lloyd’s zoning board of appeals would, if elected, bring his fiscal conservatism to bear by seeking an audit of county programs and advocating for more funding of health and human services.
Gilmore holds the Democrat and Working Families party lines.
To read in-depth profiles about all the candidates running for office in Lloyd, visit hudsonvalleyone.com.
Gardiner candidates’ guide 2017
With several large and environmentally contentious development proposals currently in various states of review by the Gardiner Planning Board, political passions are running high in the Town of Gardiner as Election Day draws near. How residents feel about the prospect of farmland and open space being subdivided for housing or transformed into resorts seems likely to shape how many of them will vote on November 7.
With endorsements from the Republican, Conservative and People 4 Gardiner parties, incumbent Marybeth Majestic faces a challenge to her reelection to a second term as town supervisor from Democratic, Working Families and Women’s Equality party candidate Lisa Lindsley. Though both contenders agree that revamping of Gardiner’s Zoning Code to provide more specific guidance to the planning board and zoning board of appeals is very high on the agenda for the coming term, Lindsley is also advocating for a swift reexamination of Gardiner’s Comprehensive Plan and Open Space Plan — which, she notes, are “each over a decade old.”
Majestic, who has a degree in political science, worked as a confidential secretary to three of previous town supervisors before landing the post herself in 2015, and has been a longtime active civic volunteer, notably with the Gardiner Historical Society. Her first-term priorities as supervisor have included renovations to town hall and reorganizing town board meetings into a split workshop/regular meeting structure, allowing more time for discussion of motions and resolutions prior to them being put to a vote. She has identified replacement of the aging Clove Road bridge and improvements to recreational facilities at Majestic Park as projects that need to be addressed in the supervisor’s upcoming two-year term.
Lindsley, who first came to Gardiner about 25 years ago as a skydiver, cites her three decades of professional experience in finance as preparing her well to take over the town supervisor post. Creating “alternative financing vehicles for farms” is one of her ideas for helping to preserve farmland and open space, which she sees as threatened by development pressures. “I want to ensure that our water, wildlife, land and the natural resources that make Gardiner unique are not exploited by predatory financial interests that are not part of our community,” she told the New Paltz Times. In response to recent calls by some Gardinerites for a moratorium on subdivisions while the Zoning Code is updated, Lindsley said, “A pause in the approval of development projects may be warranted as a tool for easing the burden on planning and zoning boards.”
Four candidates are vying for two seats on the Gardiner Town Board, with incumbent Republican councilman John Hinson not seeking reelection and incumbent Democrat David Dukler hoping for a second four-year term. Warren Wiegand, a two-term Democratic councilman who was ousted by a margin in the single digits by Mike Reynolds in 2015 and has been serving on the planning board in the interim, aims to reclaim his former town board seat. Dukler and Wiegand, both of whom are also endorsed by the Working Families and Women’s Equality parties, are facing off with two of Gardiner’s longtime stalwarts on the more pro-development end of the political spectrum: Jack Hayes, endorsed by the Republican, Conservative and People 4 Gardiner parties, and Conservative Party candidate Pam O’Dell.
“In the long term, uncontrolled building threatens the town’s rural beauty and character. And in the short term, it pits neighbor against neighbor,” Wiegand told the New Paltz Times. In addition to advocating for immediate and thorough revamping of Gardiner’s Zoning Code and Comprehensive Master Plan, he has suggested that the town might want to consider reducing five-acre zoning to two-acre zoning for residential development, “so that more young families can enjoy Gardiner, too.”
Dukler, a longtime member of the New Paltz Central School District Board of Education, parts company with Wiegand on the question of reducing the minimum acreage requirement, but agrees with him that steps should be taken to incentivize affordable residential development within the Gardiner hamlet, and also supports quick action on updating the Zoning Code and Comprehensive Master Plan. “As we have recently discovered, the code does not cover all recent developments in the marketplace,” he said, specifically citing “the large-scale projects: Heartwood, Route 208 Apartments, Shaft Road. They all have raised concerns about their design.” Dukler also regards water issues, including the potential impact of large new residential developments on existing wells, as a priority that will need attention in the near future.
Property rights advocate Pam O’Dell, who unsuccessfully challenged Carl Zatz for the town supervisor post some years back, also believes that the Gardiner Zoning Code needs some changes, specifically focusing on what she calls “two fatal flaws.” She would like to repeal the limitation on the number of times that a large property can be subdivided, as well as the requirement that a special permit must be obtained to build a single-family home in the SP-2 and SP-3 districts on the higher levels of the Shawangunk Ridge, arguing that this should be a “use by right.” Calling growth in Gardiner “stagnant,” O’Dell says that municipal “spending should be confined as much as possible on only essential services such as safety, highway and tax collection.”
Jack Hayes, who has served in the past as Gardiner’s town supervisor as well as representing the town in the Ulster County Legislature, characterizes Gardiner’s Comprehensive Master Plan and Zoning Code as “recently revised” and not in need of major overhauls. He is urging the town board, in the short term, to “create greater code enforcement.” Calling “the needs of Gardiner’s senior citizens” his top priority in his election bid, he also says, “I want our young people to be able to afford to live here if they wish to,” and calls local farmers “a key economic engine as well as the best stewards of the land.”
Down-ticket slots on the Gardiner ballot are uncontested. Incumbent town clerk/tax collector Michelle Mosher, who has the endorsements of the Democratic, Republican, Conservative and People 4 Gardiner parties, told the New Paltz Times, “I’ve been doing this for 25 years now. I have no plans to make any major changes in how I run my office.” Incumbent superintendent of highways Brian Stiscia is also running unopposed, with endorsements from the Democratic, Republican, Conservative and People 4 Gardiner parties, in his bid to begin his first four-year term in 2018, after Gardiner voters handily approved a referendum last November to double the highway superintendent’s term of office. Robert Rich is running unopposed for reelection as Gardiner town justice, with nominations from the Democratic, Republican and Working Families Parties.
The Ulster County Legislature seat representing District 16, including Gardiner and parts of Shawangunk, is currently held by Tracey Bartels, who is unenrolled but caucuses with the Democrats. She is a member of the Ways and Means Committee and deputy chair of the Energy and Environment Committee, former chair of a special committee that investigated cost overruns on the county Law Enforcement Committee and current member of a Special Legislative Oversight Committee on the construction of the new family courthouse in the Town of Ulster.
Bartels’ campaign for a sixth (non-consecutive) term as county legislator faces only token opposition, in that the opponent to be listed on the ballot has been determined ineligible to run for public office. Republican Kathy Miller of Shawangunk, a rural mail carrier for the post office, tried to withdraw her candidacy and substitute her husband’s name after being advised by her employer that she was in violation of the 1930s Hatch Act because she is a federal employee.
To read in-depth profiles about all the candidates running for office in Gardiner, visit hudsonvalleyone.com.
Rosendale candidates’ guide 2017
Residents of Rosendale will find only one local race supplying any drama on Election Day 2017: the contest for the town justice seat held by William Pape, who is being challenged by Thomas Briggs. Three candidates are running for three openings on the Town Board, while the incumbent town supervisor, town clerk, superintendent of highways and tax collector face no opposition to their reelection bids. Nor does Manna Jo Greene, who represents Rosendale in the Ulster County Legislature.
Currently winding up his third consecutive four-year term on the bench, Democrat Bill Pape is an attorney in private practice with a law degree from Rutgers University. His area of specialization is family law, and he has a particular interest in issues of domestic violence, providing legal support to its victims through a voluntary organization called Women Aware. Pape has also served as past president of the Ulster County Magistrates’ Association and is a member of the New York State Magistrates’ Association. His courtroom philosophy emphasizes accessibility and transparency; Pape prides himself on providing clear and thorough explanations of each step of the judicial process to all litigants who come before him.
Contending for the town justice post this year on the Republican and Conservative Party lines is Tillson resident Tom Briggs. Although this is Briggs’ first run for political office, he is a member of Rosendale’s Police Commission. With a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from SUNY-Plattsburgh and New York State Municipal Police Training Zone 14 training, he works as a part-time Ulster County sheriff’s deputy and also serves as compliance officer for the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency. His candidacy has received endorsements from Ulster County sheriff Paul Van Blarcum and the Rosendale Police Benevolent Association.
Briggs’ platform includes enhanced emphasis on alternative sentencing options including community service and educational programs, especially for young offenders, “Our judicial system should not only be about fines, but also about education. I plan to implement more reeducation and training into the town court, which I believe is the key to lessening the amount of re-offenses,” he has written. “My personal goal in holding this position will be to facilitate a reduction in unfortunate outcomes related to vehicular incidents and substance abuse…by working with partners within the criminal justice system to educate and service the community, followed up with strict enforcement as needed to mitigate the effects of these situations as they pertain to victims, perpetrators and the community alike.”
Perhaps reflecting her myriad successes at securing New York State grant funding for costly infrastructure projects in recent years, no challenger has stepped forward this year to take on incumbent town supervisor Jeanne Walsh. Seeking her fourth two-year term, Walsh has been endorsed by Rosendale’s Democratic, Republican and Conservative parties. Co-owner with her husband Jack of the property management company Walsh Construction, Jeanne Walsh is a Rondout Valley High School graduate.
What’s next on her agenda as supervisor? “We will be installing new water meters to all households in the water district; repaint the water tower; we will begin the much-needed wastewater treatment plant improvements; our new bathhouse will be completed; and we will create the new concession stand from the old maintenance building. Installing generators at the town hall and bathhouse for storm recovery emergency use will soon take place,” she told the New Paltz Times. “The next challenge will be to get some improvements made along the Route 32 business corridor. With water, sewer and stormwater management improvements underway, we hope to see businesses interested in investing in improvements…. We will be installing new, safer pedestrian walkways around our downtown area with new trails, a new pedestrian bridge, crosswalks and signage, creating better access to our parks, trails and businesses.”
Meanwhile, a shuffle is taking place on the Rosendale Town Board, where the four-year terms of incumbents Jen Metzger and Chris Pryslopski are coming to an end and two years remain for the seat to which Stacy Lipari was elected in 2015. With Lipari’s work frequently taking her out of the area, she resigned from the board early last year; Frank Klepeis was appointed as her temporary replacement until another vote could be held. First-term incumbent Pryslopski, has opted to commit to two more years on the Town Board, running to fill the remained of Lipari’s term.
A program director for the Hudson River Valley Institute at Marist College who holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Marist, Pryslopski is the former chair of Rosendale’s Zoning Board of Appeals. He prioritizes updating the town’s zoning code and creating incentives for appropriate development, as well as more competitive compensation for town employees. Pryslopski has been endorsed by the Rosendale Democratic, Republican and Conservative parties.
Seeking to fill the four-year slot about to be vacated by Pryslopski is a political newcomer, Democratic/Working Families Party candidate Matt Igoe. A sales manager for HV Farms in Sullivan County, Igoe has a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife Andrea Maddox have been working for the past several years on a plan to create a microdistillery in one of the abandoned cement mines in the Whiteport neighborhood of Rosendale. Igoe’s platform includes broadening the Town Board’s focus to benefit areas of the town outside the downtown business district.
Running for a second four-year term, with endorsements from the Democratic and Working Families Parties, is Jen Metzger, who served for six years as chair of the town’s Environmental Conservation Commission and came close to unseating Walsh as town supervisor in 2011. Metzger, who had a Ph.D. in Political Science from Rutgers University, is perhaps best-known in the area as an advocate for clean energy and director of the activist group Citizens for Local Power. “One of my main projects will be overseeing the town taking ownership of our streetlights from Central Hudson and converting them to LED,” the councilwoman says of her priorities for her next term. “I would like to see us install solar at the [Rondout] Municipal Center and the capped landfill to generate 100 percent of our municipal electricity load. We’ll also continue our work to make Rosendale a pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly town, which is important for the local economy and for our residents’ quality of life. And we very much need to see improvements to the Route 32 gateway area.”
When she was first elected Rosendale town clerk four years ago, Mandy Donald ran as Mandy Constable; she has since remarried and recently gave birth to her second child. She’s now back at work and running for reelection on both the Democratic and Republican lines, without opposition. Donald holds an Associate’s degree in Criminal Justice and Science from SUNY-Ulster. Finding home placements for Rosendale’s population of abandoned dogs has been a special interest of hers during her first term.
Both a former town supervisor and town board member, Bob Gallagher is running unopposed on the Democratic, Conservative and Reform party lines for a third two-year term as superintendent of highways for Rosendale. He is a graduate of Rondout Valley High School.
Deborah Checchia is running with no opposition, and the endorsements of both the Democratic and Republican Parties, for her fifth four-year term as Rosendale tax collector. She is a graduate of New Paltz High School.
Cottekill resident Manna Jo Greene, Ulster County Legislature representative for the 19th District, serving Rosendale and a portion of Marbletown, is running unopposed on the Democratic line for a third term. A Rosendale Town Board member for two terms, she now serves on the legislature’s Government Efficiency and Review and Public Works Committees. Currently environmental director for the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Greene was a critical care nurse for 22 years and also served as the county’s recycling coordinator/educator, and was the founder of Sustainable Hudson Valley.
Polling places in the Town of Rosendale, as elsewhere in Ulster County, will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Election Day, November 7. ++
To read in-depth profiles about all the candidates running for office in Rosendale, visit hudsonvalleyone.com.
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