It’s official. Patti Southworth, who lost her bid for a town of Ballston council seat last November by a narrow margin, is running now for town supervisor.
Late Friday afternoon, May 25, at the Lake Ridge Farm on the northern end of town, about 40 people gathered to hear the Democratic Party announce its slate of endorsed candidates.
Along with Southworth, George Seymour and Janet Milos’ name were revealed as candidates for two open council seats. Also announced were candidates Peter Petrillose for tax collector and Matt Sousa for town coroner.
Our candidates represent a qualified and diverse set of community members, said town Democratic Party Chairman Patrick Southworth. `I have no doubt they have the ability to garner wide-ranging support from our residents.`
Patti Southworth is a 22-year resident of Ballston, a licensed pharmacist and an adjunct professor at the Albany College of Pharmacy. She ran for a town council spot last year but lost by six votes to Republican Mary Beth Hynes in a heated race. Southworth said her strength is her communication with fellow residents.
`Over the past three years, I’ve walked every street and knocked on every door,` said Southworth. `Citizens are tired of being disappointed by their elected officials. It’s time to keep residents informed and give adequate time for their comments.`
Southworth said, if elected, she would videotape council meetings for those unable to attend, and enact `strong ethics laws.`
Town council candidate Seymour is a 29-year resident of Ballston and a science and biology teacher for the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake School District. Milos is a five-year resident of the town and a school bus driver for the Ballston Spa school district.
During the past two months, the Ballston Town Council has been under fire by a growing group of residents protesting its decision to buy into the Saratoga County Water System, which will pipe water from the Hudson River along Interstate 87 to southern Saratoga County.
The council announced Friday it will hold an informational meeting on the Saratoga County Water System on Thursday, May 31, at 7 p.m. at Ballston Town Hall, with engineers for the project there to answer questions.
`We would like to have good, clear and accurate information presented to our residents about this project,` said Councilwoman Mary Beth Hynes.
`Unfortunately, the long-term benefits of this countywide water solution have been obscured by scare tactics and politically motivated criticisms. The two engineers who will be conducting this presentation have a wealth of knowledge about the project to offer, and I hope our residents will come out and listen.“
