In Saugerties, when early voting starts on October 23, all eyes will be on the Town Board and Ulster County Legislature races with Town Supervisor Fred Costello running unopposed.
In the Town Board race (four years) four candidates are vying for two seats. Kayleigh Zaloga and Kevin Freeman are running on the Democratic ticket while Zachery Horton and Mary “Peg” Nau are running on the Republican and Conservative Lines.
Kayleigh Zaloga
Zaloga’s priorities include supporting small businesses, attracting new businesses that pay living wages and provide goods and services for experiences, while allowing for community input on new proposals. She said her other priorities also include protecting the environment and outdoor recreation spaces and ensuring residents of Saugerties of all ages have access to quality housing.
Zaloga works in the State Assembly on statewide legislation, budget and strategy for the Health Committee Chair, Assemblyman Richard Gottfried.
Kevin Freeman
Freeman, a baker with Hudson Valley Dessert Company said if he’s elected, he’d listen as much as possible while providing “measured and responsible representation and consider the best solutions for the public good.”
“Saugerties is a diverse community with a rich history that prides itself on its resources and community,” he said. “That will mean striking balances between a variety of interests while maintaining civil discourse.
Mary “Peg” Nau
Nau, a previous Town collector of taxes, was named to the Town Board in 2020, replacing Paul Andreassen who resigned from the board earlier that year.
Nau said if elected, she’ll work with her fellow Town Board members to bring the Special Olympics to Saugerties as an annual event. “We certainly have the most beautiful facilities to host such a great event,” she said.
Zachery Horton
Horton said if he’s elected he’ll work on harvesting the untapped potential of Saugerties focusing on stabilizing the cost of living while bringing in new businesses with greater job opportunities.
“There are people who are interested in being politicians, but I’m just interested in making a difference,” he said.
Candidates running unopposed
Town Supervisor Fred Costello, Town Clerk Lisa Stanley (four years), Receiver of Taxes Julie Dunn (four years) and Highway Superintendent Raymond Mayone (two years) are all running unopposed.
District 1
In the County Legislature races, (two years) Aaron Levine who lost to current Republican legislator Mary Wawro by less than ten votes in 2019, is squaring off against first-timer Gregory Roque in District 1.
District 2
In District 2, former Ulster County Legislator Joe Maloney returns to face Republican incumbent Al Bruno.
Maloney said his priorities include housing, including addressing the short-term rental which has exacerbated the availability of affordable housing.
On the environment he side, wants to address the county’s solid waste plan while ensuring that a landfill does not materialize in Saugerties.
He said he also wants to clamp down on tax breaks given by the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency, work to force the New York City Department of Environmental Protection to provide a non-chemical-based filtration system to save the Esopus, reduce the share of county sales taxes going to Kingston and fight for increased school aid from the state.
He said also wants to focus on getting money out of politics and pass legislation to end revenue streams through incarceration in Ulster County while also standing up for the Ulster County Sheriff Employees Association Union.
According to Bruno’s Facebook page, he wants to “work hard to bring real jobs to Ulster County using responsible ideas.” He also said he wants to work with honesty, integrity and common sense.
While he has dropped out of the race and thrown his support by Maloney, Chris Allen will still appear on the ballot on the independent line as it was too late for his name to be removed at this stage according to elections officials.
District 3
In District 3, first-timer Arick Manocha faces off against incumbent Dean Fabiano, who served on the Legislature from 2010-2018 then again in 2020-2021.
Recently retired from the Saugerties Highway Department, Fabiano serves as the chair of the county legislature’s Public Works and Capital Project’s Committee.
If reelected, Fabiano said his biggest priority would be for the county to finally get COVID-19 behind it and address increased housing prices in the face of a skyrocketing housing market that’s left longstanding residents struggling to afford apartments and houses alike and a lack of good-paying jobs. “Trying to keep Ulster County affordable to live here is the number-one priority for the next two years,” Fabiano said.
He said he also wants to address opioid addiction which took a back seat to the pandemic, do more with mental health, stay on top of infrastructure and keep taxes down.
Manocha, 21, is a Pakistani-American entrepreneur involved in antiques and property management and is the step-great grandson of Opus 40 creator Harvey Fite. His family has lived in Saugerties since 1939.
“I’m running because I believe that working together is how we build a better Ulster County for all,” Manocha said in a post on the Ulster County Democratic Committee website. “I will bring much-needed youth and diversity to the Legislature.
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