GUILDERLAND — Besides the supervisor, two other Democrats are unchallenged in this election — the town clerk and the receiver of taxes.

TOWN CLERK — Rosemary Centi

Democrat Rosemary Centi is proud of her accomplishments as town clerk and is running for another two-year term unopposed.

She has held the job since 2000 and, in 2003, also was unopposed. According to the proposed budget, the clerk will earn $47,412 in 2006.

One of Centi’s duties is licensing, from marriage to peddling to handicapped parking to dogs to hunting and fishing.

Centi is also the town’s records management officer. That is, she files copies of all town documents. Other responsibilities of the town clerk are organizing the election process and drafting budgets, bonds, and bids.

Centi could not be reached for an interview this week, but she told The Enterprise earlier that she has more she’d like to accomplish for the town.
"I want to get more of our minutes on disc form so they’re more accessible for me to retrieve," she said.

Centi is also closely following the Help America Vote Act, which requires municipalities to use new voting machines.
"I’m pulling every article on that," she said.

She also has been going through the certification process to become a passport agent and she expects to begin issuing passports this fall, she said.

Centi was appointed as town clerk in August of 2000 and was then elected in 2001.
"I want to continue providing an open, accessible, and responsible office," Centi said earlier. "I feel I’ve done a good job. I feel I’ve been pretty open with everybody who has had requests."

Centi grew up in Schenectady. She earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Siena College. Centi was a Spanish teacher who later worked as a substitute teacher for several schools.

Centi has lived in Guilderland with her husband, Daniel, for almost 20 years. They have three children: Daniel Jr., 25; Justin, 22; and Jacqueline, 19.

RECEIVER OF TAXES — Jean Cataldo

Democrat Jean Cataldo loves her job as the town’s receiver of taxes. She is constantly working to make things more convenient for residents, she said. She is running for another four-year term unopposed.

In 2006 budget, it states the receiver of taxes will be paid $47,412.

In the past three years, Cataldo has put town tax information on-line.
"People really like that and it cut down a lot of the calls that we get," she said.

Not only do residents find it convenient to find their tax information on the Internet, but, Cataldo said, real-estate agents, attorneys, and bank workers also find it convenient.

When residents refinance their homes, for example, tax information is constantly changing, Cataldo said. With the data frequently updated online and residents having 24-hour access, it’s more efficient, she said.

Since Cataldo’s been in office, she said, a secure box has been installed near the front door at Town Hall. Now, residents can leave their payments after hours, as late as 9 a.m. past the deadline day, and not be charged a penalty, she said.

While the town had long accepted tax payments by Discover card, Cataldo convinced the town board this year to accept both Visa and Mastercard, she said. Now, on the website, www.townsoft.com, residents can pay their bills.

A fee is added to these payments, she said, but many residents still prefer to pay this way.
"I’m very excited about offering that," she said.

Cataldo also collects water payments and issues water and sewer permits. This is regulated through the town’s Department of Water and Wastewater Management, she said.
"We do a lot of bookkeeping behind the scenes," Cataldo said of she and her two staff members. "I love spreadsheets and I like to log everything and keep perfect records. I’m trying to get them to have the love of spreadsheets that I have."

Her job is sometimes difficult, Cataldo said, because she has to follow state laws, some that she doesn’t agree with. Residents often assume she can make decisions, but, she said, she can only follow the law.
"People like to pay taxes in person to tell me what they think," Cataldo said. "That’s okay. I feel that’s part of my job."

Still, she said, there’s not much she can tell an angry resident.
"I do not set any of the rates. My role as the receiver of taxes is simply that — to receive. I don’t influence the tax roll," she said.

Running unopposed has its advantages, Cataldo said. With September and October being the busiest time of year in her office, little time is left for campaigning, she said.
During her last election, Cataldo was dedicated to double- and triple-checking all the information that came through her office. She came to work early in the morning, she said, and campaigned door-to-door in the evenings. Then, she said, she’d go back to the office and work "as late as I could stand it."

This year, Cataldo said, she has much more experience. Although she’s unopposed, she still loves to go door-to-door and talk to residents.
"In my job, I have a lot of interaction with town residents," she said. "That’s just great. I love that."

Cataldo has been the town’s receiver of taxes since 2000. Before that, she worked as an administrative assistant for Marriott and as a customer-service representative for Crossgates Mall.

Cataldo, 49, grew up in Albany and attended business school. She has two sons, Michael, 22, and Stephen, 20.