District 29
Feeney and Carman face off

ALBANY COUNTY — In a contested Guilderland county legislature race, two life-long town residents, both with less then one term’s experience, are squaring off for Fort Hunter’s District 29.

Democrat Dennis Feeney is challenging incumbent Republican Lee Carman.

Feeney was appointed to District 30, but moved out of the district during the summer to a new home off of Old State Road. Since then, Bryan Clenahan was appointed by the Albany County Democratic Party to fill Feeney’s unexpired term. (See related story.)

Carman officially began representing District 29 last year after a two-year court battle with incumbent Democrat Gene Messercola. Carman eventually won the seat by two absentee ballots.

He currently serves on the Audit and Finance Committee and the Health Committee.
Carman said he hopes his re-election bid will be easier as an incumbent, but added that he knows it will be "a tough campaign."

Each candidates will have two lines on the ballot on Nov. 6. Carman has the Republican and Conservative lines, and Feeney has the Democratic and Independence lines.

Feeney is an attorney with the law firm Feeney, Centi, & Mackey, and Carman is the vice president of secondary marketing for the Guardian Loan Company.

Last week, Carman picked up the Conservative line in the primary with 41 votes to Feeney’s 19 votes. Carman could not be reached for comment before publication this week.
"I feel good," Carman said after winning the primary. "I did a lot of door-to-door [campaigning]. A lot of people are concerned about taxes."

Feeney congratulated Carman after his win, but said he remains confident he will win the general election.
"I think he did a good job and I commend him at that, but the big election is Nov. 6, and that’s what counts," Feeney said. "The primary was only 70 voters. That is a very small microcosm of the town"I don’t think for a minute it decreased my confidence at all."
Feeney said that, even though he lost the Conservative line, he feels that his fiscal policies "are in line with Conservative philosophies."

When it comes to county issues, Feeney said he is ready to take them on.
He believes that the "temporary" 1-percent sales-tax hike that was passed years ago should be re-visited.
"Any time you raise the tax for a temporary period, you should revisit it," Feeney said. He added that he realizes local municipalities now rely on the tax revenue.
"The only thing is that we’re getting that money from people outside of the county," he said, referring to large shopping malls in Albany County such as Crossgates Mall and Colonie Center.

Feeney said the only other option would be to raise the taxes on county residents instead of getting the revenue from outside shoppers.
On other county issues, Feeney said he wants to see "an adequate nursing home," but that he doesn’t know if the county legislature has the authority to change the Berger Commission’s recommendation.

He said it may be more of an issue for the state legislature.
Feeney said he supports the Albany convention center only "if it makes fiscal sense"because we’re hearing all sorts of different numbers."
Without the full support of New York State, Feeney said, the convention center was "most-likely not going to happen."
As for shared services, Feeney said "it makes sense where we still have good services." He added that the failed Berne highway merger was not handled properly, but, if done correctly, could help relieve the tax burden.
Before the primary, Carman stepped down as the Guilderland Republican chair in order "to focus on his race" for county legislature. Barbara Davis was named as the town’s new party chair in his stead.

Carman said he thought running the town’s party and running for office was a conflict of interest and criticized Guilderland’s Democratic chairman, David Bosworth, for doing so.
"Especially since he’s now the county’s co-chair," Carman said at the time.

Bosworth has repeatedly defended himself against such accusations, saying that he sees no conflict in working for the party and running for office.

Now, the Carman-Feeney race comes down to two party lines verses two party lines.

Traditionally the Independence line has tended to side with the Democratic line and the Conservative line has tended to side with the Republican line.

Carman said that he is running on his own — not behind a party.
"I’ll work with them [town Republicans], but I usually try to run my own campaign," said Carman. "I like selling me, I’m the candidate"It’s nice to be a team, but it’s nice to win on your own terms."

Feeney said he is meeting with residents and running on the issues that people have concerns about.
"I’m trying to go to every door in the district," Feeney said. Albany County legislators represent roughly 7,500 residents in each district.
"I’ve covered about a third of it so far," said Feeney. "It’s a good way to campaign"It gives people the opportunity to talk face-to-face about issues."

One of the issues that comes up every few years is the size of the county legislature.
Carman has been very vocal in his opposition of having 32 legislators, calling it "excessive." He said it should be reduced, even if it meant losing his own seat.

Feeney said that it is an issue that cannot not be properly assessed without statistical information.
"That’s something that I’d be open to looking at, but it’s nothing we can look at until the 2010 census," he said. "I think people are in favor of their current representation in the districts."
Referring to the cost of running the legislature, Carman said, "Eight-hundred-thousand dollars a year is a little crazy."
However, Feeney pointed out that reducing the number of legislators and creating larger districts would result in having to pay higher salaries and would "not necessarily save any money."

Carman says his main goal in the legislature is to reduce taxes.
Feeney said, because of a recent Medicaid cap, the county’s "fiscal house is in pretty good order," but that he feels more can be done.
"The taxes in New York are one of things that make us unattractive," Feeney said. "On all government levels we have to continually keep an eye on it."