BETHLEHEM — The two Town Board candidates came for a two-hour forum at Town Hall and debated on numerous issues on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.
Seated opposite each other, Jim Carriero was to the left, running on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines. Dan Coffey was to the right, running on the Democratic, Working Families and Women’s Equality lines. The forum was greeted with a fully-packed audience who further learned what each candidate’s opinions and ideas were.
The forum, organized by the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce and Spotlight News, was moderated by the latter’s managing editor Michael Hallisey and publisher John McIntyre. They read out almost two dozen questions which asked the candidates about their opinions and allowed them to give rebuttals to let them respond to each other.
Issues discussed included:
- their opinions on the current Town Board
- each candidate’s professional background
- the Delaware Avenue Road Diet
- the town’s previous and upcoming comprehensive plans
- aging infrastructure like the water and sewer systems
- concerns about the rise in local traffic
- the up-to-2-percent real estate transfer tax
- setting up a community preservation fund for open space protection
- the town’s zoning laws
- Slingerlands’ Historical District
- the Albany County Rail Trail
- fiscal responsibility
- the town’s business landscape, both current and the near future
- cost of insurance and employee benefits
- staffing levels of the Bethlehem Police Department and EMS
- transparency in the town government
Below are YouTube videos that filmed the entire forum in two parts:
The following is a gallery of photographs taken during the forum.