Town clerks and assessors face off in Rensselaerville

The Enterprise — Marcello Iaia
By the numbers: Democratic Chairman John Kudlack, right, and Conservative Chairman Robert Bolte, both town board members, compare numbers they took down in the quiet Rensselaerville firehouse just after 9 p.m. on Election Night. All of the candidates endorsed by Bolte’s committee won seats, with multiple endorsements.

RENSSELAERVILLE — Two town posts not often on center stage are contested this election with names new and old to elected office.

After four decades in the position, town Clerk Kathleen Hallenbeck plans to retire after her term expires at the end of December.

Democrat Victoria Kraker is running with Democratic, Republican, Conservative, and Independence Party endorsement for town clerk and tax collector against Heather Kelly, a deputy town clerk. The full-time job pays around $32,300 per year. Kelly is not affiliated with a political party.

Two of the town’s three assessor positions are up for election to four-year terms. Salaries can range from around $5,000 to $7,000 depending on certification and experience.

Democrats Michael Weber and Jeffry Pine are in the running, along with Republican Donna Kropp, who won a Conservative primary in September and has Independence Party backing, and Independence Party member Kathryn Wank, who has Conservative and Republican endorsement.

In Rensselaerville, there are 632 enrolled Democrats, 285 Republicans, 54 Conservatives, and 99 Independence Party members, according to 2013 figures from the Albany County Board of Elections. Five residents are enrolled in smaller parties and 269, or 20 percent of all 1,344 registered voters in the town are not affiliated with a political party.

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