Westerlo Town Board incumbents face two GOP challengers

WESTERLO — In this rural Helderberg Hilltown, dominated by Democrats for decades, two Republicans are challenging the incumbent Democrats on the town board.

The Republicans — Kevin Flensted, making his second run, and Richard Filkins, making his first — are focusing on transparency as an issue, promising a government that would actively reach out to citizens.

The Democrats — William Bichteman, running for a second four-year term, and Joseph Boone, who was elected a year ago after being appointed to fill a vacancy — are running on their records. Each of them, in separate interviews, named the same three things they are proud of accomplishing with the community — a summer youth program, a revitalized museum, and a vibrant town library.

Both of the Republican candidates favor town-wide property revaluation, moving Westerlo to full-value assessment. Both of the Democrats said that reassessing properties would lead to large tracts of now-open land — one of the primary draws for Westerlo — being sold for development.

Democrats make up about half of Westerlo’s registered voters, about a fifth are Republicans, and almost a quarter are unaffiliated. The rest belong to small parties.

Two years ago was the first time in decades that the GOP put up a full slate. All three of the Republican board candidates were newcomers to politics.  Longtime Democratic Supervisor Richard Rapp got 55 percent of the vote, winning a four-year term, while Republican Amie Burnside was the top vote-getter in the four-way council race for two seats, ousting an incumbent Democrat. Flensted came in a close third.

For the Nov. 7 elections, the Republicans have backed the Democratic highway superintendent, Jody Ostrander, who was appointed by the town board in June to replace the retiring superintendent, Keith Wright. Ostrander had worked for the department for 23 years and been deputy superintendent for 15 years. (He did not return calls before press time.)

Finally, Democrat Kenneth Mackey is running unopposed for town justice.

The issues

The Enterprise asked the town board candidates about these issues:

— Revaluation: Long-time Supervisor Richard Rapp estimated the town last underwent a property revaluation in the 1950s. This leaves the tax rolls skewed, causing newcomers to pay an unfair share, in violation of state standards.

“Because Westerlo has not conducted a reassessment in decades, it continues to exceed the assessment equity standard,” said a spokesman for the state’s Department of Taxation and Finance. “This means that many of the town’s property owners are paying either more or less than their fair share of taxes. The best way to ensure that all taxpayers pay only their fair share is to conduct frequent reassessments. The state makes aid available for municipalities that commit to conducting reassessments at least once every four years.”

The state-set equalization rate for Westerlo is less than 1-percent of full-market value.

Should Westerlo undergo a town-wide property revaluation and why or why not?

— Town buildings: Westerlo citizens have twice voted down plans to upgrade the town hall, formerly a school building. The first time, the plan also included replacing the old highway garage and was soundly defeated. The second time, the scaled-back plan focused just on the town hall and was narrowly defeated.

What, if anything, should be done about the highway department building and the town hall?

— Transparency: Some Westerlo citizens complained that the town board had met illegally — not in an advertised open meeting — with engineers developing the first plans for renovating town hall and replacing the highway garage and also felt that the public was shut out of the planning process. The board was more open developing the second plan but some residents still say citizens are shut out.

How should meetings be conducted and what responsibility, if any, does the board have to inform citizens?

— Comprehensive plan and zoning: In 2015, Westerlo became the last town in Albany County to adopt a written comprehensive plan, a broad outline for its future, which needs to be codified into law if it is to have any effect.

How has Westerlo progressed since then in taking steps to implement this plan and what laws, if any, should be adopted to codify it?

— Budget: A state comptroller’s audit several years ago described the poor financial health of Westerlo’s water district. The comptroller’s office recommended developing “realistic and accurate estimates” in creating the town’s budget. It also recommended the town monitor the budget during the year, developing a comprehensive plan to ensure balances are paid within a fiscal year, and establish a multi-year plan to fund the long-term needs of the water district.

Additionally, year after year, Westerlo has often not followed state requirements in preparing its annual budget drafts by the deadlines that would allow for public input.

What changes have been or should be made to Westerlo’s budgeting process and why?

 

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