With younger, fresh-faced candidates, members of the town’s Republican party are hoping 2015 is their year.
Like GOP members who ran in the recent past, those campaigning feel greater diversity is needed in Bethlehem town government, and putting a Republican on the Town Board is the best way to provide it. However, they know it will be a challenge as the town’s politics have shifted left within the last 10 years.
In the 2013 election, Supervisor candidate Fred DiMaggio garnered 42.2 percent of the vote through the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines, versus John Clarkson’s 57.6 percent on the Democrat and Working Family lines. The last Republican to serve on the Town Board was George Lenhardt from 1994 to 2005.
“I think the biggest threat facing the town right now is stale thinking in policy and local government,” said Republican Supervisor candidate Jim Foster. “I think increasingly our local officials are disconnected from our residents, and are not responding to their needs and concerns.”
Foster, 32, was raised in Bethlehem, but left for a time to attend college and gain experience in Washington D.C. He was later an attorney with Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, LLP, an international law firm based in New York City. He was also a former volunteer at Elsmere Fire Department. He and his family moved back to the area last year.
The party’s main platform in the coming election is the erosion of services. From the perceived poor handling of negotiations with the town’s police force to a lack snow and leaf removal, the candidates feel a lack of leadership has caused the issues to snowball.
Police force
The party has tapped retired Bethlehem Police officer David Harrington to run for Town Board.
With a 25-year career in the department, Harrington said he has the insight to help the town when it comes to police matters. He felt the best way to ease tension is to sit down in good faith and negotiate. He called it a “scare tactic” to say the only way appropriately fund the police is through raising taxes.
“First off, anybody who goes after the police when you talk about saving money is really at the end of their rope,” said Harrington. “They’ve been picked down to the bone for about eight years now — to the point where there’s really nothing left for the vultures to get into.”
In an effort to cut down on overtime, the Town Board implemented new rules for shift scheduling, along with use of vacation time and calling in sick. This has led to a number of workplace grievances being filed against the town and prolonged contract negotiations. The police also led a support movement resulting in the signs that can be seen on lawns throughout the town.
When the Republicans publicly announced the majority of its candidates in April, standing alongside them were a number of police officers. This was before Harrington decided to run. The town’s two police unions have also given Foster about $800 in donations as of the July disclosure filing.
“Public safety relies heavily on having a professional and adequately staffed police force,” said Foster. “Obviously, there has been a highly publicized dispute between the town and the police, and I think everyone at this table recognizes the need for resolution and supports it.”
Harrington said he was happy to see the two recent promotions of Adam Hornick and Tom Heffernan to the positions of deputy police chief and police commander, and feels there are a number of ways to restructure the department to make is function more smoothly. He said if two more promotions are made to replace the positions left by Hornick and Heffernan and two more people are hired, the department would be at a more appropriate staffing level.
“If (Clarkson) approves those, we’re good,” said Harrington. “You can find ways to make it work, but ultimately you want to find ways for the department to continue to grow.”
Highway services
The town received a number of complaints last fall and winter about the lack of leaf and snow removal. Highway Superintendent Brent Meredith said the department was caught off-guard due to early snowfall, which buried the leaves.
John “Tiger” Anastasi, who is running for the position, said a lack of coordination and experience led to the issues last year.
“This isn’t about the guys in the department, but the leadership,” said Anastasi. “In fact, a couple years ago when Greg (Sagendorph) led the department, it ran like a well-oiled machine. Guys liked him, they liked going to work for him and they worked hard for him.”
Anastasi majored in construction technology at Hudson Valley Community College, and is a building contractor and developer. He said he has the experience of leading crews of a similar scale, “and isn’t afraid to get (his) hands dirty.”
Foster said he feels Anastasi would bring a “pragmatic and common sense” approach to the job.
The candidates felt the problem was the administration was not willing to spend the money to get these jobs done, even if it meant a determent to public safety. Anastasi said he wasn’t running to play politics, but to do the job, and said he was unaffiliated with any party, although he’s running as a Republican.
“This is the type of job where you need experience and know-how,” said Anastasi, although he added he did not agree with efforts several years ago to change the highway superintendent position in the town to a civil servant position.
Development
Foster said development has been an on-going issue, and better strategic thinking is needed.
“There needs to be proper oversight of town regulations, in particular in terms of the town’s Industrial Development Agency, to makes sure the residents don’t pay for poor decision-making and mismanagement,” said Foster, citing the town’s Vista Technology Park.
The supervisor candidate said town residents were promised the park would bring more jobs and new interest in the town from those looking to move their businesses, but yet no technology companies have opened. However, Monolith Solar is planned to break ground on its new headquarters this summer.
Foster also mentioned the recent reassessments, and how he believes the project contributed to development as longtime landowners sold off portions to pay their taxes. This is opposed to keeping the land in the family, agreeing residents do have the right to develop if they wish to.
“What other choice did they have?” he asked. “It’s sad when you see logging trucks on our streets for those forced to log their land.”
From Bethlehem
Most of the candidates are campaigning on the fact they grew up in Bethlehem.
All of the candidates on the Republican ticket are either from Bethlehem or moved here when they were young. Their slogan this year is “From Bethlehem, For Bethlehem.”
Bridget Zigrosser, 46, is a teaching assistant with the Guilderland Central School District, and has previously coached for the Bethlehem Recreational Soccer Club and Bethlehem Pop Warner Cheerleading. She is also running for Town Board.
When asked if the Republicans felt their slogan or approach might alienate some residents, many of whom have moved to the region in the past decade, Zigrosser said no.
“We want to cut across party lines for the better of the town,” said Zigrosser. “We want people to get involved. Stop up and speak out if there’s something they feel strongly about.”
The other candidates echoed there is a reason so many people have moved to Bethlehem in recent years. Harrington said living in Bethlehem used to be like living in a “Norman Rockwell painting,” and that’s something they want to preserve. He feels others do, too.
“We’re not trying to exclude anyone, but we want to show that we have deep roots here and the knowledge that goes along with that,” said Foster.
