No challengers for Saugerties Village Board seats

Three members of the Saugerties Village Board are running unopposed for re-election on March 15. Vincent Buono, Donald Hackett and Terry Parisian each are seeking another two-year term. All three are running on the New Vision Party line. Polls will be open from noon to 9 p.m. in the Snyder Hose Fire House, located at 43 Partition Street. Buono and Hackett are seeking their third terms, while Parisian is seeking his second term. Justice Robert Rightmyer is also seeking is also seeking to be reelected for a four-year term

Terry Parisian

Terry Parisian is running for his fifth two-year term on the Village Board. He was appointed by Mayor William Murphy in January, 2012 and has been elected every two years since then.

His main concern, he said, is delivering the best services for a reasonable cost. Balancing the interests of different voters is necessary. The idea is to provide the best possible services to the citizens at a reasonable cost, he said. Parisian is also the board liaison to the Historic Review Board.

Parisian, who has lived in Saugerties for more than 40 years,  is the board liaison to the Public Works Department, which he sees as doing the job of meeting the community’s needs while keeping costs down. However, he said he is a liaison; he does not act as a department head.   Parisian is employed as a property manager for Edgewater Management Company. 

Parisian is a graduate of Oneonta High School and the New York State University at Oneonta. He is married and has two sons.

Parisian has volunteered for many youth activities including Junior Achievement, AYSO, Hudson Valley Select Soccer, Saugerties Little League, Biddy Basketball, Saugerties Babe Ruth. He has also volunteered with the American Legion.

Parisian has been active in local education, having served two terms on the Saugerties Board of Education and is a past President of the Ulster County School Boards Association. He has also been active in the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Don Hackett

Don Hackett is running for his seventh term on the Village Board. 

Hackett has taken a special interest in the Village waterfront and the ongoing efforts to clear weeds that have choked the Esopus Creek. He was instrumental in overseeing the weed harvester that has made inroads in removing the milfoil and water chestnuts. He is also the liaison to the Village sewer plant, which, he said, needs extensive repair and renovation work. Saugerties has serious parking problems in the central business area, Hackett said, and he has tried to get the board working on solutions, which are difficult to come by.

A lifelong Saugerties resident, Hackett graduated from Saugerties High School and has an associate degree in environmental science and has a lifelong interest in the environment and science. He has worked in water, soils and wastewater for 25 years and ran the Rhinebeck wastewater plant. He is certified in both water and wastewater operation. He is liaison to the Village Planning Board, the Village Zoning Board, the Village Wastewater Department and the Village Building Department. 

Hackett has been a member of the village Planning Board and served on the commission that studied the consolidation of the Town and Village police departments.

Hackett volunteered for many years in Saugerties youth sports, having coached and managed in the Babe Ruth League. He is a member of the Saugerties Elks and the Sons of the American Legion. He is on the board of Community Action, which helps families in need with food, housing and other needs.

He is married, with six children — four daughters and two sons. 

Vincent Buono

Vincent Buono has served on the Village Board for 12 years, having been elected every two years since 2010. He has been a Village resident for the past 27 years, but has lived in the Town of Saugerties all his life, having grown up in Glasco.

Buono believes one of the major problems facing the Village is the aging sewer plant, which needs an estimated $5 million in work, of which about $1 million is budgeted for the coming year. Buono also sees the need for a full-time plant superintendent. The part-time superintendent, with help from Water Superintendent Mike Hopf, is doing a good job, he said, but the department really needs a full-time overseer. Buono said he would like to see a fairly young person in charge. He would like to see younger workers in the Village management to assure continuity over time, he said. At one time, Ulster Community College had courses in water and waste management; he was not sure the school still offered it. 

Buono believes one important function of the Village is being sure taxes are paid so the Village can provide the services residents need. He praised treasurer Paula Kerbert, who has done a good job collecting back taxes. As the chief financial officer on the board, Buono oversees the budget and is active in the Economic Development Committee and in negotiations with the union representing Village employees. He is also the board liaison to the Village Ethics Committee.

Buono is married; the Buonos have four children.

Buono attended Saugerties High School, SUNY Ulster and SUNY Albany.  He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing and management.  He served in the Air Force for four years. He worked as a medical service technician and an inhalation therapist while on active service.

Buono worked as a sales representative and sales management for Ikon Office Solutions and retired in 1973. He served on the Saugerties School Board from 2001to 2007. He has been involved in local sports, having played softball in the Saugerties Athletic Association. He has also coached in the Saugerties Little League, the Babe Ruth League and the Biddy Basketball League. He is a member of the Kiwanis Club and the American Legion.