By Zach Simeone

BERNE — In light of her recent election to the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School Board, Carolyn Anderson has withdrawn from this year’s race for town supervisor. Now, both Anderson and the Albany County Conservative Party, which originally endorsed Anderson, are in support of current Supervisor Kevin Crosier running for re-election this fall.

Anderson was forced to abandon her run for supervisor when she discovered that, according to New York State Town Law, “No county treasurer, district superintendent of schools, or trustee of a school district shall be eligible to the office of supervisor.”

As she was elected to the school board just last month, Anderson told The Enterprise this week that her loyalty is with the school district.

“If I were to win the race for supervisor, I would be automatically removed from the school board upon taking the oath of office,” Anderson said this week. “I thought about where my priorities are, and I did not want to shortchange my efforts on the school board in order to fill the supervisor slot. I weighed the importance of both positions, and my obligations to both, and I thought my obligation was with the school board,” she said. Anderson had beaten incumbent John Harlow on May 19, and will take office on July 1.

She added that she is in strong support of Crosier running for a third term in the fall.

“Kevin Crosier has accomplished a great deal during his tenure, including recently securing over $1 million in grant funding for our town,” she said. “I would like to see him continue as supervisor, particularly given the current projects undertaken, such as the sewer project, library project, and senior housing,” she said.

Since Crosier initially announced that he was not running for re-election, his phone “hasn’t stopped ringing,” he said this week.

“It’s really amazing, the amount of people who have said, ‘You know, we really want you to stay and continue your work for the town of Berne,’” said Crosier. “I’m humbled by this many people coming forward, asking me to run again.”

But as far as whether or not he will run, he needs more time to decide, he said.

“I mean, I love the job, I love the people, but I have to think of my family,” said Crosier.

An Albany City firefighter, Crosier has been Berne Supervisor for two terms. An enrolled Democrat, he ran both times on the Republican line. Peg Warner, who chairs Berne’s Republican Committee, said Crosier will not have GOP backing this time. Carl Baranishyn, a member of the committee, will instead have the committee’s support in the fall election for supervisor.

Last month, Crosier said that he was not running for supervisor because other opportunities in government had been presented, but would not go into any further detail.

“Currently, my family and I are discussing the issues; my family has to be a big part of my decision.”

Richard Stack, chairman of the Albany County Conservative Party, said this week that the party would be in full support of Crosier, should he decide to run.

“We’ll be circulating petitions on behalf of Mr. Crosier, and supporting him as we have in other races,” Stack said. “What’ll happen here is, we will have our final authorization meeting; that will happen probably about a week before the end of the petition season,” which is in late July. “At that time, Mr. Crosier will be taken up. I don’t see why anybody on the committee would be opposed to Kevin reinserting himself into the race. He’s always had our support.”

In the meantime, Anderson, who is retired from a career of managing employee benefits, is eager to serve on the school board.

“I greatly appreciate having been selected by the voters of BKW to serve on their behalf, and feel strongly that I will uphold their faith and confidence,” Anderson concluded. “Both positions hold a great deal of importance, but I felt my personal obligation and loyalty was to my service on the school board. This was a difficult decision, but I am confident I have chosen wisely.”