This year, Colonie voters have the opportunity to support a ballot proposal that would benefit residents by creating more continuity and efficiency in our town government.
Ballot Proposal No. 2 offers our Colonie voters the opportunity to increase the length of term for our town supervisor and town clerk from two years to four year years commencing in next year’s election cycle for these offices.
The Town Board, in December, 2021, in a bipartisan manner, adopted a Local Law approving the term change and now it is up the voters to vote yes.
During the public hearing last December, we both publicly spoke in favor of the need to increase these terms. We have served as town supervisor and we wholeheartedly advocated for the adoption of the Local Law. We concur that this proposal is long overdue and clearly it has bipartisan support not only from us who have served as town supervisor but also by the vote of our bipartisan Town Board last year. In fact, our Town Board members already serve in four-year terms. Further, during our administrations, we worked daily with the town clerk and understand that the Office of Town Clerk is likewise plagued by the counterproductive confines of a two-year term.
With the recent changes in New York State Election Law regarding campaign cycles, the current two-year term means that a town supervisor and town clerk must become a candidate for re-election merely 14 months after being sworn into the position. Extending the terms minimizes the disruption of campaigning and enables more focus on important services, programs and good governance. Extended terms also allow for long-term planning and long-term budgeting.
We respectfully urge our fellow town residents to vote YES on Ballot Proposal No. 2.
Thank you for your consideration and support.
Mary E. Brizzell
Former Colonie town supervisor (1996-2007)
Paula Mahan
Former Colonie town supervisor (2008-2021)
