The Bethlehem Democratic Committee made its picks for the 2009 elections as expected with one notable exception Independence Councilman Sam Messina wasn’t on the list.
The town’s full committee voted on Tuesday, April 7, to endorse Supervisor Jack Cunningham, who is on the party’s executive committee, for re-election, as well as Democratic Councilman Kyle Kotary who is running for a second term. The executive committee interviews potential candidates and then makes a recommendation for the full committee to vote on.
However, the party opted to endorse Bethlehem’s new Independence Party Chairman Mark Jordan over Kotary’s former running mate, Messina, whom Democrats cross endorsed for councilman in 2005. Jordan is chief of staff to Bethlehem Assemblyman Tim Gordon of the 108th District, the state’s only Independence Party assemblyman and the party’s former chairman. Gordon also started his political career as a Bethlehem councilman.
Jordan took over the reins as party chair from Gordon over the winter.
This is my first time running for anything,` Jordan said about his Democratic nomination. `I’m very grateful to the Democratic town committee for putting their trust in me.`
Messina said he is in `assessment mode,` and that he has to think it over and then talk it over with family and friends before he makes a decision about running for re-election.
`I was not surprised, I was disappointed,` said Messina about losing the endorsement. `For the last four years I did the best I could for the Town of Bethlehem. During Terry’s [Eagan] tenure and after, I did everything I could about openness and bringing about transparency.`
Concluding, he said, `It has not gone over well.`
Without a major political-party backing he would have to force a primary through petition or seek a third-party nomination, such as his own party. Messina will now be vying with his party’s chairman, Jordan, and his former running mate and current colleague, Kotary, for his seat on the Bethlehem Town Board and a nod from the Independence Party.
The two top highest vote getters will win the seats. So far, there are three candidates seeking board seats, but town Republican and third-party nominations have yet to be made. Bethlehem Republican Chairwoman Melody Burns said her full committee is expected to vote on a slate of candidates on April 21.
`I’m looking at our interested candidates and making sure they are well aware of the amount work and responsibilities of running for office,` she said in an e-mail to The Spotlight.
The Bethlehem Democratic Party chairman is Matthew Clyne, who is also Albany County’s Democratic commissioner of the board of elections and brother of former Albany County district attorney Paul Clyne.
Clyne, who along with Cunningham voted for Jordan, said he believed Messina had become a distraction on the board and didn’t embody the Democrat’s best interests and therefore was not suited for the party’s nomination.
`I personally got tired of Sam Messina’s grandstanding. He wasn’t able to harmonize his views with the other board members,` Clyne said. `We’ve had a good relationship with the Independence Party but we weren’t prepared to give [Messina] a platform.`
Messina has drawn the ire of the Democratic Party by confronting Cunningham about town appointments on numerous occasions, especially when they have consisted of Democratic committee members. Messina put forth an appointment proposal in 2008 that would have the town post jobs and committee openings and have non Civil Service appointees go through an interview and have predetermined qualifications.
The board voted it down 4-to-1, citing that it would add an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy and that town boards have the legal right and duty to make appointments.
The most recent confrontation occurred the day after Messina lost the Democratic nomination, during the Wednesday, April 8, town board meeting, over the appointment of William Burkard to the board of assessment review.
`For two years I have tried to discuss the notion of a bit more openness in the recruitment process and also a bit more of an open process among the board before the agenda goes out on Friday with a name on it,` Messina said. `I’ve been unsuccessful but I think the issue I’ve been dealing with is the wrong issue.
`The issue is one of control, the issue is one of tight-fisted governance and the issue is one of how chairman Matt Clyne governs things,` he said. `I need to discuss that and I will continue to discuss that because my interest is in improving Bethlehem, both its political processes and its governmental ones.`
The board ultimately voted to appoint Burkard 3-to-2.
Clyne cited Messina’s stance on appointments as a reason the party dropped him.
`I’m speaking specifically about political appointments,` Clyne said. `He’s not a member of the party the decision to make political appointments was a committee decision.
`People were getting tired of reading about this all the time. The appointments were arrived on by consensus,` Clyne continued. `Sam Messina, as a board member, has a right to vote what he wants but it’s the same process that put him there to begin with. I had to draw a line.`
Clyne pointed to Messina’s objection to the appointment of Daniel Plummer, a former councilman, to the position of deputy supervisor as `simply ridiculous` and said Plummer was `the logical choice.`
`Mark Jordan has the qualifications and temperament to fulfill the duties of the office,` said Clyne. `The committee membership felt the same way.`
The committee vote for Jordan over Messina was 54-to-5, according to Clyne.
When asked about the situation, Cunningham said the party sees Jordan as the best candidate for the job. Furthermore, he flatly denied the accusation of running a less-than-open Town Hall.
`There’s nothing that goes on at those meetings that isn’t transparent,` Cunningham said. `If community members have questions my door is always open.`
Messina said he told Democrats in 2005, when they originally endorsed him, that he would `vote his mind` and that he would put the `good of Bethlehem above all else` if elected to the board.
Kotary said he was grateful for Democratic support for his election bid and that he is also seeking the Independence line and talking with the Conservative Party.
`I’m honored to once again have the unanimous endorsement of the Bethlehem Democratic Committee as I prepare to run for re-election to the Bethlehem Town Board,` he said. `I have thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful opportunity to serve our community and I’m so thankful for all the community support.`
Messina and Councilwoman Joann Dawson are the board’s two Independence Party members, while Cunningham, Kotary and Councilman Mark Hennessey are all Democrats. If Messina stays in the race and he and Jordan were the two highest vote getters, the Independence Party would have a majority vote on the Bethlehem Town Board.
The Bethlehem Democratic Committee has also endorsed Nanci Moquin, the Planning and Zoning boards’ current administrative assistant, for town clerk. Longtime Town Clerk Kathleen Newkirk has not publicly announced if she will run, but said she would make her intentions known at the Bethlehem Republican Committee nomination vote.
No Democratic nomination was made for the other open town race ` highway superintendent, which is currently held by Republican Gregg Sagendorf.
Jordan said he looks forward to the summer campaign and that the Independence Party would make its selections in early May.
`I am proud to be a part of such a strong ticket,` he said. `With Jack Cunningham on the top and Kyle Kotary for council and Nanci Moquin for town clerk, I look forward to a vigorous campaign season.`
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