On Tuesday, Nov. 4, voters will head to the polls to decide who should fill the two seats up for grabs on the Scotia Village Board of Trustees.
Incumbent Republicans Carol Carpenter and Armon Benny are each seeking another four-year term on the board. They are being challenged by Democrats Tom Gifford and Andrew Kohout.
Keeping taxes under control and maintaining village services are among the top issues this election cycle.
The Democrats
Tom Gifford and Andrew Kohout said they would bring a much-needed fresh perspective to the board.
Kohout, 27, is a project manager for Architex in Latham. He served on the Scotia Planning Board of Appeals from January 2005 to August 2005, the Scotia Planning Board from September 2005 to October 2005, and on the Glenville Environmental Conservation Commission since January 2007. He lives on Lark Street with his wife, Emily.
Kohout said he and Gifford want to control taxes and make quality-of-life issues their primary focus. He is also an advocate of improving the cosmetic appeal of the downtown area to attract businesses and consumers to Scotia.
One way to do that is to promote sensible commercial development to fill vacant storefronts and increase our tax base, Kohout said. `We will also promote increased cooperation with the town and county to increase efficiencies and save money.`
Kohout also said he feels strongly about maintaining the village fire and police departments.
`They contribute to the unique identity of our village and are something that most citizens feel strongly about keeping,` said Kohout.
He has pledged to refuse the health and dental benefits offered to part-time elected officials and will propose eliminating them if elected.
`I, along with Tom, want to end the micro-management brought about by the majority on the current board. The village has strong, competent department heads who oversee good employees, and we need to let them do their jobs without the constant, stifling scrutiny they are currently under,? said Kohout.
Gifford, 57, is no stranger to village service and even had a day named after him earlier this year in honor of his years of service to the village as a volunteer on many different fronts, including as volunteer firefighter.
Gifford said he does not support outsourcing fire management duties and believes in keeping essential services like fire and police within the village, as opposed to consolidating with neighboring municipalities.
`The needs of the village are different from the needs of other neighboring towns, and vice versa. I think we need to consolidate some areas, but not public safety,` said Gifford.
Gifford is a SUNY Potsdam graduate with bachelor’s degrees in psychology and physics. He works in the family title search and title insurance business. He has experience with village politics through his six years of service on the planning board.
He lives with his wife, Nancy, on Lincoln Street, where they raised their three grown children. They also have one grandchild.
The Republicans
Trustees Armon Benny and Carol Carpenter are hoping to serve four more years on the board. Benny and Carpenter say the issues important to them include housekeeping along Mohawk Avenue, as well as community projects that will bolster Scotia’s reputation as a close-knit community.
Benny, 54, has been the most outspoken in what he’s called his fight for taxpayers. He is a graduate of Union College and serves as a consultant to several companies and is the former owner of Capital Printing. He served on the planning board from 1990 to 2004 and has been an advocate for change in the way the fire department is managed.
`The main reason I want to serve again is to continue to fight for our taxpayers, especially during the hard economic times,` said Benny.
Benny said he would support a strong Scotia business sector by working with the Chamber of Commerce and Metroplex to bring about improvements using the Business Enhancement Revolving Loan Fund.
He also wants to keep up with the street-paving schedule in the village by working collaboratively with Schenectady County.
`For the first time ever, we have a two year paving plan, and we can do better,` said Benny.
Benny said he would never vote to increase taxes and would also make street paving, absentee landlords and the condition of Mohawk Avenue priorities.
Benny lives on Fifth Street with his wife, Mary. They have three grown children and one grandchild.
Carpenter, 55, has been on the Board of Trustees since 2004. She has also served on the park board and has a long family tradition of service in the Scotia Fire Department. She works as a preschool teacher at The Scotia Methodist Co-op Nursery School and is a graduate of Hudson Valley Community College.
Carpenter said she does not support outsourcing fire management, and she is confident that when a new fire chief is appointed, he or she will be able to properly manage overtime and staffing.
One major component of her platform is to stabilize the shoreline of the Mohawk River at Freedom Park in the village. She has been actively involved with environmental issues, and said she would like to continue a number of current projects in that area.
`Looking at quality-of-life issues is, of course, something I feel strongly about,` said Carpenter.
Carpenter lives with her husband, John, on First Street. They have two grown children and two grandchildren. “