The Rev. Peter Klotz has announced his intent to run as a Republican for a position on the Malta Town Board this fall, creating a Republican primary.
I know that I will be the outsider and that I will have to recruit my own workers and supporters and collect my own signatures to qualify for the primary, said Klotz at a press conference Tuesday, May 22. `It is my hope that when the votes of all the Republicans of Malta are counted, they will choose me and the years of experience that I bring.`
Klotz said he had anticipated that the Malta Republican Committee would endorse the two incumbents, Donna Gizzi and Cliff Lange, in April. After interviewing Gizzi, Lange and newcomer Tara Thomas, the committee voted to endorse Gizzi and Thomas. Lange, who has been a member of the Malta Town Board for more than 20 years, decided last week not to pursue a Republican primary in an effort to win the seat and remain on the board.
`I believe that the town board is a place for experienced people who know how things have developed in the past and how the present and the future will build on that foundation,` said Klotz. `Times of change, like those I believe Malta faces, call for leaders who have been there for the laying of the foundations. When Cliff Lange was not chosen by the committee and later decided to not run a primary, I felt it was still important for the voters to have an experienced alternative. I’m offering myself as an experienced, well-qualified, alternative Republican candidate.`
While Klotz is well respected, his announcement has ruffled the feathers of the Malta Republican Committee. Anticipating Klotz’s announcement, committee Chairman Bill Smith Sr. called his own press conference for Monday, May 21, to express his disappointment at Klotz’s decision to not present himself as a candidate to the committee in April as well as create a Republican primary.
`I happen to know the newly minted Republican who has expressed an interest in seeking a primary against Tara (Thomas). In fact, I consider him a friend,` said Smith. `Peter is a decent, honorable man. I have nothing bad or negative to say about him as a person. I must say, publicly, for the record, that since he just became a Republican a little less than a year ago, Peter Klotz is, in my opinion, making a mistake in seeking a Republican primary.`
Klotz is the First Pastor of the St. Peter Lutheran Church, current chairman of the Malta Planning Board, and a 20-year veteran of the Malta Ambulance Corps. He currently chairs the town’s ethics board and also serves as a member of the Planning and Zoning Update Committee, the Emergency Planning committee, and the Downtown Greenspace and Economic Development Study Steering Committee. Past committee involvement has included the Comprehensive Master Plan Update Committee, the Zoning Code Update Committee and selection committees for town engineers and consultants for the North/South Corridor Study.
In addition to his volunteer work with the town, Klotz has played a vital role in the development of the Malta Ambulance Corps as he was involved in transitioning the agency to paramedic level service with paid staffing. He helped to manage the construction of the new multi-million dollar facility.
`Many people and many businesses have discovered that Malta is a very desirable place to live and work. We will continue to grow. We need to do our best to shape that growth along the lines of the shared vision that has been laid out in our planning documents,` said Klotz. `I have been an active part of the defining and the implementing of that vision. I think that my experience and my involvement make me well qualified to ask the Republican voters for their support.`
Klotz said he believes growth pressures will continue to be a major issue for the town and expressed his desire to keep Malta without a town tax. In addition to fiscal responsibility, he said he is committed to the preservation of green public spaces saying they contribute to `our Malta quality of life.`
`The experience, qualifications and skills I have demonstrated as chairman of the planning board will have direct application to the town board,` said Klotz. `I can work with people who have a variety of viewpoints.`
Klotz said he is proud of the way in which the planning board, with each member having their own point of view is able to distill those opinions into an action.
`I can build a consensus that does not turn into hostility,` said Klotz. `I can help build enthusiasm around a shared vision.`
Klotz had been a registered voter with no party affiliation until 2005. Calling the process to change affiliations `lengthy,` he said the move was made after former Supervisor Dave Meager’s retirement from public office.
`When Dave Meager stepped down, I felt I wanted to be part of the politics,` said Klotz. `I felt the only way to get involved with it would be to affiliate with the Republican party.`
Smith, who was joined at his press conference by endorsed candidates Tara Thomas (town council) and Flo Sickels (town clerk) as well as four committee members, said that while seeking a Republican primary is well within Klotz’s rights, it is his hope that Klotz will reconsider.
`I would have liked to have considered Peter during the endorsement process,` said Sharon Schiera, one of the committee members present. `I would have liked to have had that opportunity to choose Peter as one of the endorsed candidates.`
Noticeably absent from Smith’s press conference was the other Republican-endorsed candidate for town council, Donna Gizzi, who said she was not invited. Smith indicated that since she is already on the town council, he did not see a need for her to be present. When Sue Nolan, another town council member and Republican committee member, showed up, she was asked to leave the property.
`As a committee, the whole committee should be notified that there is a press conference,` said Nolan. `All committee members should be invited to attend, not just a select few.`
Following Klotz’s announcement, Gizzi said, `Pastor Peter Klotz is a man of deep intelligence who has served our community in more than one capacity for over 20 years. He has the requisite skills and knowledge that are needed in the current challenging, complex environment we have in Malta. I have enjoyed working with Peter for more than 15 years, both in my capacity as past Supervisor Meager’s assistant and more recently as a member of the town board. He is a person of integrity who always has the best interests of the town at heart. Peter has earned the trust of his constituency, and I feel he would be a very positive and resourceful member of the town board.`
Klotz is now turning his attention to collecting the signatures necessary in order to appear on the ballot.
`This need not be a divisive primary,` said Klotz. `It seems to me that primaries should be able to help unify voters around candidates who are chosen and endorsed by a greater number of people. At a recent town board meeting, there was a loud and clear message that people want to be able to vote for their leaders. I offer my candidacy as an opportunity to let the voters decide.“
