Before voting for town supervisor be sure to check the records of the incumbent and incumbent. Please consider the following:
The town’s S&P rating dropped two notches this year. Saugerties bonds are on their way to being considered speculative– at which point borrowing rates will rise, which of course will be reflected in property tax bills.
Who will be able to afford keep their own homes in Saugerties? A recent walk through a certain neighborhood in Saugerties revealed that one in ten houses is now vacant.
The Helsmoortel name is well known in Saugerties in part due to his family’s real estate business. In looking at his record, remember the Merry-Go-Round; remember the Opus 40 dispute with attempt to control the family home; remember the commitment to ICLEI; remember Dickinson Keep; remember the almost fraudulent behavior at accepting his name on Town Hall although it was previously named after Saugerties’ decorated war hero, Colonel Roger Donlon.
New York State Campaign Finance Office shows no record of Kelly Myers as a candidate or even connected to the Saugerties Republican Committee? This is against New York State Election Law and it would be difficult to accept ignorance on your part as your husband is treasurer of the Saugerties Republican Committee and responsible for filing those reports. Helsmoortel did create a committee in July but has not bothered to file any finance reports.
Letter: “Grass not greener without Helsmoortel”
Before voting for town supervisor be sure to check the records of the incumbent and as to that current incumbent, consider her record:
Remember two annual attempts to get a 33 percent raise in salary; remember a misleading (almost fraudulent?) budget for 2013 with Safety Net costs omitted; remember the unneeded water meters being coerced upon residents of the Glasco Water District, again forcing them to bond all of which was done without opportunity for public feedback; remember Country Meadows (Myers’ Dickinson Keep); remember the withholding of essential information from the Town Board, then justifying her action (although it was problematic for board members, perhaps it was politically advantageous to her).
Those who have been watching the supervisor candidates’ positions will notice Supervisor Myers has decided to take note of the sufferings of the taxpayers just in time for the election. At the Republican Candidates Forum held in June (the one for which the party bosses prohibited taping) those attending will recall the rosy picture she painted of Saugerties; she said nothing about high taxes or people losing their homes. At that Candidates Forum I spoke about taxpayers suffering due to property taxes. I know firsthand, having been in touch with the people of the town at their homes several times during the past few years. The town activities are lacking in transparency and voters do not receive enough adequate information to be involved in town government.
New York State Campaign Finance Office shows no record of Kelly Myers as a candidate or even connected to the Saugerties Republican Committee? This is against New York State Election Law and it would be difficult to accept ignorance on your part as your husband is treasurer of the Saugerties Republican Committee and responsible for filing those reports. Helsmoortel did create a committee in July but has not bothered to file any finance reports.
Letter: “While others sling mud, Myers works for taxpayers”
Here’s my record: Hard work; experience in organizing citizens to exert their rights (and to date neither Country Meadows nor Dickenson Keep has received state funding); 10 years of consistency as the leader of Operation SOS; 30 years of consistent work with the public (20 of these years in a supervisory capacity); participation in numerous civic organizations; a history of recycling long before it became fashionable or mandatory; a history of inspiring others to do their best; carefully examining public policy and taking a stand even when it might have been politically incorrect to do so.
And now I run for town supervisor, a Republican on the Conservative ticket. In doing so I remind Republicans to be mindful of the Republican principles on which the party was founded.
The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior so remember to consider the record then cast your ballot.
Gaetana Ciarlante
Saugerties
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