A debate held between candidates for Colonie Town Board on Tuesday, Oct. 30, largely failed to draw any sort of debating.
The four candidates hoping to fill the remainder of the terms of resigning Town Board members Republican Dan Dustin and Democrat Nancy Hernandez didn’t have much to disagree about. The hour-long debate sponsored by the League of WoMen Voters, the Colonie Chamber of Commerce and Spotlight Newspapers held at the Holiday Inn on Wolf Road only had time for six audience questions, along with opening and closing statements
Democrat David Rowley, who will also appear on the Independence line, is running against Republican Joe Gomez for the one year left in Dustin’s term. Democrat Brian Haak and his opponent Republican David Green are running to fill Hernandez’s remaining three years. Both Democrats are already sitting on the board, having been appointed to fill the vacancies.
When it comes to the town’s focus on economic development and expanding the tax base, the candidates said attracting small businesses is key.
As chairman of the Industrial Development Agency, Rowley helped said he created `Grow Colony,` a program to help bring high-tech businesses into the area.
`The other important factor is to keep the taxes low,` Rowley said. `We have been very successful on that and we have to continue on that. We also have to work on our infrastructure, which we’re doing.`
Gomez added there are plenty of vacant buildings in the area that can be rehabilitated for new businesses.
Transparency on the Town Board was another issue addressed. Each candidate said televising the meetings would be helpful. Rowley, however, said it was expensive and with a limited budget isn’t an `appropriate use of the resources.` Gomez suggested the library could broadcast the meetings on Channel 17 as a public service.
Haak said adding reports on the town’s website could create more transparency. Haak said he had talked to other Town Board members about starting a program to make board members more accessible.
`Put (meetings) out onto the street corners, either at a shopping mall or a diner. Residents can come up to the board members and ask questions without having to appear before a formal board meeting,` Haak said.
Green added that televising the meetings would be beneficial to the many seniors in the community.
One question asked the candidates’ opinion on the controversial landfill deal. In 2011, the town signed a landfill operation agreement with Waste Connections to take care of the town’s deficit associated with the landfill. Republicans attacked Democrat Supervisor Paula Mahan at the time, but Gomez said on Tuesday he thinks criticizing the landfill deal is `fruitless.`
`The landfill is history,` Gomez said.
Haak said the agreement allowed the town to eliminate the deficit and he still believes it was a good deal for the town. Green said the agreement should still be monitored.
As for accommodating the increasing senior population, candidates said they believe the town is already doing a `phenomenal job.` Haak and Green added the town should continue to listen to the senior community.
`I think we need to listen. And I think that’s something in government a lot of people don’t do unless it’s listening to themselves. We need to survey the seniors that are in this town and we need to make sure we’re meeting their needs,` Green said.
Both Green and Rowley stated they are lifelong residents of the town and intend to keep it one of the safest places to live.
`Colonie is a great place to live. That’s why unlike some who were placed here by their parents, I freely chose to live here,` Haak said. `I want to serve on Town Board because I want it to continue to be the best place to live.`
