An interview with supervisor candidate Kelly Myers

What unique advantages does Saugerties have? What challenges?

Saugerties is a great place to live and raise a family. The community spirit is the best I have seen; I have never seen any other place where people participate, where local organizations help so much. We have a vibrant business district. Our location on the river and near major highways is excellent. We have an international draw through HITS, and we are becoming an international destination through tourism.

One of the challenges is shaping the business corridor so it connects the village and the town. We need attractive gateways, and segues from the town to the village. The village has a historical review board that has managed the appearance of the business district. I would like to see the town and village business districts support and feed each other. For instance, if Winston Farm includes local business, they should develop connections between Winston Farm and the village. Town government can work with Ulster County Planning and Economic Development agencies to do this; they can offer incentives to shape development. PILOTS [payments in lieu of taxes] should be a real win-win. We need to make sure local priorities are considered.

As a leader of the town, what qualities should a good supervisor possess?

A supervisor should be open-minded and ready to listen to all points of view. Once you are elected, you don’t represent a political party; you have to treat everyone equally. A supervisor must be fair and honest. A supervisor should be able to supervise people and maintain his or her priorities. You also have to have a good handle on municipal law and to make sure the laws are implemented.

What is your vision for Saugerties? What steps will you take to make it a reality?

I would like to see the town and village business districts better connected. I would like a good use of resources and planning. A local government that is inclusive and accessible to people. We need to make sure our community remains affordable for families and seniors. We need a vibrant and diverse community; people’s backgrounds need to be respected. My vision includes open government, a great place for families and seniors, making sure all the municipal laws are followed consistently and working with regional planning bodies for regional development. I like Saugerties the way it is – we need to balance growth with maintaining the character that we have. In some ways I feel protective, we need to grow but maintain the culture and values that we have. Over the last 10 years I have seen Saugerties change with a lot of people moving in, but we have been able to maintain a tradition. We have some really funky businesses in the village, and that’s really nice. Saugerties needs to maintain its unique character; I don’t want to lose that.

Property taxes seem to be a big issue. Critics charge that town taxes have doubled during the incumbent supervisor’s term in office, but supporters point out that the majority of the increase has come in school taxes, which the town does not influence. Do you feel property taxes are too high, or has the town done a good job of holding the line?

I don’t agree that tax increases are not attributable to the town. Our tax assessor has assessed properties in ways that are inequitable; people don’t understand how it was done. A 100 percent assessment should be the price of the property, but people say they could not sell at these prices. New York State takes the numbers and compares our community to others; the increase in the assessments reduces our state aid. We can work with the school district to get jobs done at a saving of taxpayers’ money. We should have less need to hire outside contractors.

Since the police consolidation, the village tax increase has been greater than the original estimate – 42.9 percent versus the promised 23 percent. The village is also paying for extra policing in the village.

Since Greg has been in office, our taxes have increased 9.6 percent per year, a 105 percent increase over eleven years. Eight hundred and fourteen thousand dollars has been taken from the fund balance, causing a lowering of our bond rating.

The tax levy was $3,894,707 in 2001, and $8,001,121 in 2011; an average of 8.8 percent per year. Our taxes were so high; that made me mad enough to run. Leeanne, Fred and Greg are all good people, but we need to change direction. Financially, it’s just not working. We need to try something new.