Political junkies of New Paltz will not have an active village election campaign to follow, and may have to get their fix elsewhere. There are only two candidates running for two available seats in what might be the last independent election in the village’s history.
Incumbent William Wheeler Murray is seeking a second term as trustee, but KT Tobin is not, and Stana Weisburd stands ready to serve. Tobin is also the deputy mayor, but that’s a position appointed by the mayor from among the trustees, not chosen by the voters. Trustees earn $7,000 a year.
Voters will also be asked if they wish to move future village elections to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. If this referendum is approved, control of the voting will shift from the village clerk to the county’s elections commissioners, and the cost of that process would be spread among all county taxpayers as part of the board of elections budget. This would reduce the cost to village residents and reduce the number of days that voters would have to remember to go to the polls. Village elections run under county rules would also mean partisan elections; the easiest way to get on the ballot would be by running on a party line. Village election rules as they now stand expressly forbid candidates from associating with any formal political party.
The village election will be held on Tuesday, May 4.
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