John Clarkson
Democrat
Occupation: Incumbent town supervisor
Question: Why are you running for town supervisor?
Answer: I think it’s important to continue well managed, efficient, responsive and transparent town government. I also want to see to fruition efforts already underway to make Bethlehem safer, more walkable, more attractive and prosperous, and more successful in preserving open space and enhancing parks.
Q: How will your experience serve you as town supervisor?
A: I’ve had four years of successful service as supervisor, meeting challenges and solving problems, and I believe that record qualifies me very highly. So does my 30-year professional management career and 23 years as a Bethlehem taxpayer, voter and civically active community member, and the experience of having raised a family here. As a result I have a very good sense of what people value most about Bethlehem. Successful leadership requires experience, judgment and the ability to find consensus – all of which are qualities I’ve developed over time in a series of positions of high responsibility.
Q: What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the town?
A: We need to provide efficient and affordable town government despite rising costs and growing service needs. That means we have to find ways to maintain or improve town services and also meet new demands without straining taxpayers. We also need to plan for and manage growth in a way that preserves the essential qualities of our town. Our residents want a safe community, great residential neighborhoods, pleasant and prosperous main streets and commercial areas, sidewalks and bike paths, smoothly flowing traffic, parks and open spaces. I want to see us become an even better place for seniors to remain in or relocate to, with more attractive housing choices. Bethlehem is already the premier suburban town in the region, but we can do even better. The challenge is to manage growth well and continue good services without imposing unsustainable costs on taxpayers.
Q: What are your ideas for addressing these challenges?
A: We’ve been able to maintain services while lowering spending by finding new ways of doing business, and we need to keep at it. This includes exploring new shared services arrangements, public-private partnerships and modern government. For example, we’re pursuing shared procurement of a new state of the art computer assisted emergency dispatch and records system that will improve emergency services, ease workload, give police officers instant access to much more data and improve record keeping. We’ve been very successful at attracting grants, and we’re working with Albany County to extend the paved portion of the rail trail and add more access points. We’re implementing plans stalled in prior years, including reinvesting in water and sewer infrastructure, enhancing Delaware Avenue and developing a vision for our Hudson Riverfront. We’ve made improvements in planning, zoning and in economic development, following the recommendations of citizens’ committees, and there is much more to come!
