Freshman town councilman John Schoonmaker this week said he is setting his sights on the county legislature.
On Tuesday, Jan, 15, the 27-year old Democrat announced his candidacy for the District 2 seat now sat in by Joe Maloney. Currently the youngest town board member in collective local recall, if elected this fall Schoonmaker would out-youth 29-year-old Minority Whip Jonathan Heppner for the least-old person on the body. In a release, Schoonmaker said he will formally announce his intention to run at the Hudson Valley Dessert Company at 264 Main St. in the village on Friday, Jan. 18 at 4 p.m.
Schoonmaker earned his seat on the town board in 2017 with 21 percent of the total votes cast in that election. If elected to serve Saugerties on a county level, he said he would aim to push green initiatives, including cost-efficient proposals to adopt solar and other renewable energy sources. During his tenure on the town board, Schoonmaker has advocated for the usage of electric cars by town employees.
Schoonmaker has supported Saugerties’ partnership with Rupco to obtain grants on behalf of low-income households; he has also been involved with the rezoning process, still ongoing, of Kings Highway to encourage more economic development on the underutilized stretch.
“I’m extremely proud of what we have been able to accomplish on the town level in pursuing green initiatives and look forward to continuing our work on a county-wide basis,” wrote Schoonmaker in a press release.
“John has been an outstanding public servant,” said Supervisor Fred Costello Jr. “He is thoughtful, articulate and prepared. I wish him the best of luck as he explores his options and I think he would be an excellent county legislator.”
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