Many candidates have identified the local economy as a top issue. Should the Town Board be doing more to address this?
When [Supervisor Kelly Myers] first got into office, I heard a rumor that Markertek was thinking about leaving Saugerties and going down south. I got it on the agenda, I met with Mark Bronstein, and he assured us he was not, but he was so thankful that we took the time out of our schedule to meet with him and to find out any concerns that he had. We’ve been meeting with different business leaders to see if they have any concerns.
Are there any issues the board hasn’t addressed you’d like to see it take on in the coming years?
I know affordable housing is big, but I don’t like our current law that says any major subdivision ten lots or more, 20 percent have to be affordable housing. When I was on the Planning Board, I explained to them, “Look, I’m also a licensed real estate broker. I’m telling you, it defies all the laws of real estate.” Say somebody decides they want to come in and put $20 million homes on a piece of property. They’re not going to want to put in affordable homes with that because what that does is, the lower-price homes, it elevates their prices, but the higher-price homes, it brings their price down. People are not going to want to spend that kind of money on a subdivision with that law in effect. I’d like to see that changed. I don’t think it’s realistic.
Do you feel positive about the future of Saugerties?
Absolutely. People say the economy is doing great; I think we’re still hurting. There are lots of people who are hurting. But all through this bad economy, Saugerties hasn’t fared as bad as some parts of the country. Yes, we lost jobs, we lost Vertis, but overall, there’s a lot going on in Saugerties. You go into the village on First Fridays, and the place is hopping. I can’t think of a place I’d rather bring up my children than here.
What’s your message to the voters?
First of all, I don’t feel entitled to this position. I feel like it’s a privilege and an honor that they showed the kind of support they showed last time to elect me. My message is, I will work 7 by 24 for their benefit. They know I’m available 7 by 24, and anytime anybody needs anything, I’m here for them. I look forward to getting reelected and working for another four years, because I love Saugerties. My main goal is, I want to strive to make it a better place so our kids don’t want to leave and they can stay. To create jobs—that’s our future. My son had moved away about two or three years ago to Florida, and he lasted three months. It killed me every time I talked to him on the phone. One day, we were standing outside in front of my garage doors, and he said, “There really is no place like Saugerties, is there?” I said, “Well, you had to find that out for yourself.”
