Residents of Bethlehem may soon find the local Republican Party unrecognizable from its election seasons of the past.
At least, that’s the goal of new Bethlehem Republican Committee Chairman Fred Di Maggio, who after taking the top spot in December is looking to revitalize the party to prepare for elections in the years ahead and expand the committee’s base.
“Mistakes were made in the last election season and I want to rectify that,” said Di Maggio. “This community will respond to reasonable, rational positions. We are not hard right.”
Republicans have generally not fared well in their bids for town office the last few election cycles, and in the recent Bethlehem race the party endorsed Councilman Kyle Kotary, a Democrat, for the position of town supervisor.
According to the new chairman, that was a major mistake that disenfranchised the town’s Republicans.
“The cross-endorsement of Kyle Kotary did more to hurt the party than anything else,” he said. “Not that Kyle is a bad guy, but we didn’t vote Republican.”
Di Maggio ran unopposed in a special election for the chairmanship on Dec. 14. He succeeds Ralph Ambrosio, who chose not to run for re-election because of work obligations.
Di Maggio said he feels national Republican races are off-putting to the public and are giving party members on the local level a bad name. He thinks most topics being discussed by Republicans in the presidential debates are “not issues that should be involved at a town level.”
He is now looking to rebuild the GOP in Bethlehem so Independents or residents without a party affiliation feel more comfortable voting for Republican candidates for local offices.
Di Maggio said his main goals are to identify potential committee members and issues that appeal to the party’s base, as well as to the community as a whole. He would also like to raise more money than in the past to fund more effective campaigns, while strengthening the focus on enrolling new residents and reaching those looking to change parties.
“I want to develop a structure and message that will appeal to all residents,” he said. “The goal is to eventually have a two-party town. I don’t think it serves the people to have a one-party town, but I know it will be a challenge to overcome those odds.”
The chairman said some of his main concerns for the town are issues that should extend across party lines, such as the town’s spending, tax structure, and the aging sewer system.
“We need to overcome the perception that Bethlehem doesn’t welcome business in order to broaden the tax base,” he said, explaining he feels the town should be aggressively investing in the Vista Tech Park. “The commercial space has been maxed out, so now they need to focus on bringing in the tech firms.”
As for the new administration, Di Maggio would like to see openness to new ideas brought forth from any individual or group. He would also like to see a budget that curtails spending to “reflect the reality of the town’s insufficient income,” so as to not raise property taxes.
“I believe our police force is the largest per capita of any town in the county,” he said. “We all want to be safe, but there has to be a balance.”
Di Maggio said contractual obligations are also an issue, explaining department heads should be asked to cut spending through consolidation or leaving vacant positions unfilled.
But his immediate aim is to identify the town’s core Republican interested in redeveloping the party, since volunteer numbers have been down in recent years.
“With the economy it’s become harder to recruit people. Campaigning owns you. It’s really a four-month commitment,” he said, explaining how phoning voters, walking petitions, attending meetings and participating in literature drops can wear on a person.
“Unless you’ve done it before, you have no idea. It’s tough and takes a lot of energy,” said Di Maggio, who made an unsuccessful run at the Bethlehem Town Board in 2009.
Di Maggio feels the GOP can play a vital role in helping to solve the town’s problems.
“In the end this is about public serve,” he said. “The Republican Party is here for one reason and that is to elect Republicans, not to debate society.”
The first Bethlehem Republican Committee meeting of the year will be held on Saturday, Jan. 21 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the American Legion Post. The meeting is open to the public and new members are welcome.