Amanda Gotto and Randall Leverette will become the first New Paltz Republican team ticket in recent memory, thanks to the support of all three GOP members who attended a July 22 caucus called by Ken Ronk, chair of the county Republican committee.
Gotto, the incumbent town supervisor, was bested in a primary for the Democratic line by Tim Rogers.
According to nominator Butch Dener, Gotto is the only other Democrat for whom Dener has voted for this job since the late Carol Roper defeated Susan Zimet from the GOP ballot line. Dener’s support comes because “the alternative is so scary.” Dener sees Rogers as supporting anti-semitism and racism in local government.
In accepting, Gotto framed the upcoming race as one of experience in the specific tasks of the job versus platitudes, saying that it was important to have a supervisor “who plans for and delivers actual fact-supported results,” including making difficult budget decisions … “rather than clinging to the hubris and inherent manipulation of no increase in taxes.”
Leverette, also nominated by Dener, spoke of “monumental changes” that could be coming to the community, including a likely vote on reducing the number of New Paltz governments from two to one.
Leverette, an appointed town councilmember, is also on the county’s industrial development agency and is a former chair of the town’s police commission. “Party is immaterial” once a candidate is elected, Leverette said. What was important was to ensure tax dollars are “spent efficiently and wisely.”
Election Day is November 4, with early voting preceding it.
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