Voters will hit the polls next Tuesday to fill seats on the County Legislature, Saugerties town council and town supervisor. After a season-long flurry of yard signs, phone calls, home visits and events, candidates can finally sit back and watch the votes come in, 6 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday, November 7.
Competing for town supervisor are Jim Bruno and Fred Costello, longtime friends fellow councilmen who often carpooled to Town Board meetings together. Running on the Republican, Conservative and Reform Party lines, Bruno has served for eight years on the board. He is an owner of the Bishop’s Gate housing development in which he lives (which, according to Bruno, has sold most of its lots and won’t pose a time conflict) and runs a construction business with his son (which he says is “relatively quiet” these days). Bruno’s experience as a housing developer has played into many of the aims of his campaign; if elected, Bruno hopes to bring more businesses to Saugerties, raise development fees, and make the home assessment process more transparent for homeowners. Bruno hopes to lower taxes for residents and entirely alleviate property taxes for residents over 65 who have lived in the community for over 25 years.
Costello, running on the Democratic, Working Families and Independence Party, has served on the Town Board for 13 and a half years, eleven of which were spent as the Deputy Supervisor for the town; beforehand, he served on the town’s Economic Development Board. His business holdings include Sue’s Restaurant, a carwash, apartments in Glasco and a local barber shop. Some of his prominent running points include establishing an employee handbook for government employees in Saugerties, fully implementing the accounting system, bringing businesses to Kings Highway, handling the “zombie house” situation throughout the community, rebuilding the Small World playground and bringing broadband internet to the entirety of the community.
County Legislature
Legislative veteran Dean Fabiano (R) is running unopposed in the District 3.
In District 2, incumbent Chris Allen, the Democratic and Working Families candidate, has served as a county legislator for two consecutive terms, serves as the Deputy Chair for the Public Health and Social Services Committee, and holds positions on the Economic Tourism and Development Committee and the Ways and Means Committee.
Joe Maloney, a member of the Independence party, has lines on the ballot for the Republican, Conservative, Green, Independence and Women’s Equality parties, and has challenged Allen throughout the campaigning process. The lifelong Ulster County resident has owned and managed Maloney’s Wine and Liquor in Saugerties for the past two and a half years; previously, he worked with the disabled for 15 years in both the private and public sector.
Democrat Mike MacIsaac will challenge incumbent Republican Mary Wawro for the legislative seat in District 1. Wawro will hold lines for the Republican, Conservative and Independence Party. Wawro, who manages Mary’s Little Lambs in Saugerties, serves as the chair of the Legislative Programs, Education and Community Services Committee. She serves on the Energy and Environment Committee. She is also on the Hope Rocks Committee and the Ulster County Coalition Against Narcotics, and is the legislative appointee to the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County.
A major element of MacIsaac’s campaign has been to provide stable and affordable internet for all residents. Among the ex-marine and system programmer’s issues of interest are affordable home ownership, senior citizen housing, energy sustainability and energy conservation.
Town council
The largely amicable town board race will feature former town building inspector Paul Andreassen, running on the Democratic, Conservative and Independence party lines; longtime Saugerties police officer Donald Tucker, running on the Republican and Conservative lines; Vincent Altieri, who serves as the Captain of the Sheriff’s Police Services Department and holds Republican, Independence and Reform party lines; and Democrat John Schoonmaker, who majored in Biology at Siena College and currently works as a Gnotobiologist at Taconic Biosciences, is running on the Democratic line and hopes to bring the town’s youth into the fold of local government.
Uncontested are the positions of County Clerk, which will be filled by Nina Postupack; County Comptroller, which will continue to be filled by Elliot Auerbach; Town clerk, a role that will be filled by Lisa A. Stanley; Tax Receiver, who will be Judy Dunn; Highway Superintendent, Douglas F. Myer; and Town Justice, which will continue to be served by Daniel N. Lamb.
Where to vote
DISTRICTS 5, 9, 15, 16 Grant D. Morse Elementary, 70 Harry Wells Rd.
DISTRICT 6 Cedar Grove Firehouse, Rt. 32N
DISTRICT 7 Malden Firehouse, 139 Malden Tpke.
DISTRICTS 1, 2, 3, 4, 14 Senior Center, 207 Market St.
DISTRICT 10 Plattekill Reformed Church, 622 Kings Highway (Note: This polling site has permanently changed from Mount Marion Firehouse)
DISTRICTS 8, 11, 12, 13 Glasco Firehouse, 138 Liberty St.
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