Candidate for Bethlehem supervisor Sam Messina and incumbent Jack Cunningham, who is seeking his second two-year term, met in debate on Thursday, Oct. 29, and clashed on a number of topics, most notably the town budget.
The debate was sponsored by Spotlight Newspapers and the Albany County League of Women Voters, and took place at Bethlehem Town Hall. In addition to opening and closing statements by each candidate, moderator and Spotlight Managing Editor Bill DeVoe read questions provided by the audience, to which each candidate had a chance to respond.
Several of those questions involved town finances.
Messina has been calling for the 2010 budget to include a zero percent tax hike, which he said can be achieved by a 2 to 4 percent reduction in every town department and pay reductions for Town Board members and the supervisor. Cunningham has said this reduction is not feasible without making cuts to services or making layoffs, and stands behind the proposed budget that includes a 2 percent town tax hike.
Cunningham said that the proposed tax increase would represent about $15 more for the owner of a $300,000 home.
Currently, our demand on revenue is greater than what we’re bringing in, and part of that has to do with the downturn in the economyI believe that it’s important for the continuation of our town government, the continuation of our town services, to keep this revenue stream going, said Cunningham.
`These are different times, these are tougher times, these are times when the people need to see their government be more responsible,` said Messina. `The reduction I’m talking about can be done without impacting any services and any people. It’s one half of one percent of our budget.`
The candidates were also asked about the town’s sagging infrastructure. Cunningham argued that years of avoiding tax hikes at all costs has left the town ill prepared for the future.
`Out infrastructure problems are the result of many years of deferral,` he said. `We’ve reached the point where we can’t do that anymore.`
Messina argued that he had approached Cunningham in the past about laying out planning for infrastructure improvements and capital expenditures, but was shut down because he did not support certain appointments to town bodies.
`Automatically, Jack took that away from meend result, it’s cost the town huge money,` he said.
Messina later attacked Cunningham’s administration as being opaque, and said he would support strengthening the ethics code to prevent chairmen of political parties from being involved in town business. He also called for Web broadcast of meetings, expanded agenda listings and holding meetings around town.
Cunningham defended what he said is a paragon of government transparency in the town’s Web site. He also noted that town meetings have been held throughout town in the past, but Town Board meetings are held at Town Hall simply because that’s the seat of governance in Bethlehem.
`I don’t hear a lot of issues about non-transparency in government,` he said.
On the topic of bringing new development to town, Cunningham said that the downturn in the economy has played a role in delaying development at the Vista Technology Park, but pointed to groundwork put in place there and at the Selkirk Yard Industrial Zone.
`We’re talking to developers on a regular basis, there’s a lot of interest there,` he said.
Messina acknowledged that planning has been taking place, but said it isn’t enough.
`We’ve got a lot of things spinning, but nothing is happeningnot enough is being done,` he said, recommending that projects be prioritized and focused on.
Polls are open Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Messina`a registered Independent`will be on the Republican and Conservative lines, and Cunningham will be on the Democrat, Independence and Working Families Party lines.
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