Supervisor unopposed as four vie for two seats on town board



GUILDERLAND — In a contest similar to the 2005 elections, four candidates are vying for two open seats on the all-Democratic town board and the supervisor is running unopposed.

Democratic incumbents David Bosworth and Michael Ricard are running against Republican challengers Mark Grimm and Warren Redlich.

Campaigns this year have been contentious and even bitter at times as candidates, residents, and appointed officials alike have written many letters to the Enterprise editor criticizing one another’s viewpoints.

The election season began in the middle of June when Grimm announced his intentions to run for town board, well ahead of the other candidates’ announcements.

In early August, Councilman Ricard filed a lawsuit against Redlich after he was substituted on the Republican ticket for Barbara Davis who declined her party’s nomination, and later was named the town’s Republican chair.

Ricard sued Redlich because he did not properly fill out his substitution petition, but a state Supreme Court justice ruled in favor of Redlich, keeping him on the ballot. However, the following week a five-judge Appellate Division panel unanimously overturned the decision and invalidated Redlich’s original petition.

The court would not rule on a second substitution petition made by Redlich days after the first one. The second petition was filled out properly but was handed in to the county’s board of elections past deadline.

The matter was then handed back to the Albany County Board of Elections which accepted the second petition and has not yet challenged it. The election commissioners, one Democrat and one Republican, voted down party lines on the validity of Redlich’s substitution petition.

The matter is still before the board of elections and Redlich is still on the ballot as of this week.

The buildup to the primaries in September led to more political bickering as Grimm sought the Conservative line. He trailed Ricard by 19 votes and will only appear on the Republican line. Redlich did not seek any third-party endorsements and will also only appear on the Republican line.
Grimm, after losing the primary, stated that the Democrats "have stacked the deck," saying that many Town Hall employees and their family members were enrolled in the town’s Conservative Party. (A letter to the Enterprise editor this week from a Conservative town hall employee refutes Grimm’s claims.)

Numbers from the Albany County Board of Elections show that 37 percent of Guilderland voters are enrolled Democrats; 31 percent are enrolled Republicans; and 32 percent are enrolled in a third party or are not enrolled in any party.
Democrats have since said that their Republican challengers are mounting "personal attacks" against them and "were making up issues where there are none because they had none of their own."
The Republicans responded by saying they were merely "uncovering facts" and that their criticisms of the current Guilderland administration were being labeled as "personal."

The McKownville Improvement Association is sponsoring a forum for Guilderland candidates on Wednesday evening, Oct. 17, at the Holiday Inn Express on 1442 Western Ave.
The candidate’s forum begins at 7 p.m., and is designed to "give candidates an opportunity to address a wide range of issues that affect our community’s sustainability and livability," says association president, Donald Reeb.

Grimm and Redlich have asked a willing League of Women Voters to run a televised debate at town hall, but Bosworth, the town’s Democratic chair and Albany County’s Democratic co-chair, said it is difficult to arrange such an event so late in late in the campaign season. (In a letter to the Enterprise editor this week, Bosworth said guildelines have to be set up 60 to 90 days ahead of a debate.)

The issues

The candidates for town board and the supervisor were interviewed by The Enterprise on five current town issues:
— One-party rule: The town board and supervisor all belong to the Democratic party. Does this create a more open forum for ideas and debate or is it a hindrance and how open and accessible is Guilderland town government compared to other towns"
— Town taxes: There has been no tax-rate increase in the past seven budget proposals, although assessments have increased. What do you think about the current town tax rate and the town’s fiscal policies"
— Development and Growth: TechValley is becoming a reality and adding development pressure to nearby towns such as Guilderland, and a large-scale $100 million development called Glass Works Village was recently proposed in town. How do you see the future of Guilderland’s growth and economic development"
— Rapp Road Landfill: The city of Albany has proposed expanding the Rapp Road Landfill into the Pine Bush Preserve as one of several options as the landfill reaches capacity. Should Guilderland continue bringing its trash to Albany’s landfill and should the landfill expansion be supported"
— Zoning enforcement: During the past two years, Guilderland has undergone several instances of "spot zoning" or specific area zoning changes. Does the town have fair and consistent enforcement of its zoning regulations and should more or less be done in regards to zoning"

For supervisor Runion runs unopposed, points to town’s solid finances

Democratic Supervisor Kenneth Runion is running for his fifth two-year term. He is running unopposed on the Democratic, Independence, and Conservative lines.

Runion points to neighboring towns such as Colonie and Bethlehem and their respective financial situations as a benchmark for Guilderland’s success. He said that sound fiscal management and wise investments under his tenure have helped create a solid financial standing for the town.
"The town tax rate is the lowest in Albany County," Runion said. "We’re seeing tax increases in all of the neighboring municipalities."
The supervisor said he is seeking re-election because he wants to continue his work on many projects, such as the continued expansion of the town’s park system, and he wants to provide "a secure financial future."
Referring to the town’s previous administration in 1999 and the 2000 fiscal year, Runion described the budget he inherited as "a complete mess."
"The first budget this current administration did was in 2001"We inherited the 2000 budget," Runion said. He added that he doesn’t know "where some of these other numbers are coming from," referring to statements about town taxes made by Grimm and Redlich.

Runion, answering the Republicans’ claims that town spending increased 70 percent between 1999 and 2005, maintains that his first budget was not implemented until 2001 and that his administration was left with having to undertake several capital improvement projects.

Runion’s first budget as supervisor brought an 8-percent tax-rate decrease, he said, the town’s tax rate has remained roughly the same at 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.

Currently, the owner of a $200,000 home in Guilderland pays roughly $50 in taxes, he said.
"We’ve been able to contain our costs," Runion said about the town’s spending. "Our budgets are pretty much bare-bones budgets for our operational services."
Runion said that several "big ticket" capital improvements were left to his administration because of poor planning from previous ones.

In 2003, he said, $11 million was needed for the town’s sewer-treatment plant on Nott Road, the result of an unfunded mandate imposed on the town before he was supervisor. Runion said that the town also received $2.8 million in grant money between 2001 and now, which is used to offset costs for many town projects.

The western Guilderland water district extension approved this year will cost around $7 million, Runion said.
"Are we supposed to take that off the table, too, because someone says we’re spending too much," Runion said of Republican criticisms.

Now in 2007, Runion said, Guilderland enjoys the best bond rating a municipality can have.
As for his all-Democratic board, Runion said, "I feel we have one of the most open governments in the Capital District"For almost 200 years, the town was entirely run by a five-member Republican board.
"I don’t think it really matters what the political makeup of the board is," he concluded.

Runion cited a public-comment period before every town board meeting, which is not legally mandated, and televised board meetings as examples of an open government. He said that Guilderland was the first town in the area to televise its board meetings and the only town to televise its zoning- and planning-board meetings.

The supervisor said he has repeatedly gone on the record as opposing any expansion of Albany’s landfill into the Pine Bush Preserve and said the town has sought alternatives and continues to do so.
"We’ve had discussions with other landfills"and price-wise it’s compatible," Runion said of the Rapp Road Landfill possibly being filled to capacity by 2009.
The four-term supervisor said he believes Guilderland has "fair and consistent" zoning enforcement, but that the town code may require "some tweaking" over the next few years as the regulations become older.
"We’ve been really responsive to the Smart-Growth principles as proposed by the state," Runion said of New Urbanism designs that integrate commercial and residential developments into walkable neighborhoods less reliant upon automobiles.
The town’s growth, Runion said, is typically between $20 million and $30 million a year in development, which he called "a fairly sustainable growth."
"That’s why we have planning in place," he said of the town’s comprehensive plan developed during his tenure. "And you have to follow it and continue this sustainable growth"because growth can outstrip its resources."

For town board Bosworth say morale high at town hall

Democratic Party leader David Bosworth has been a Guilderland councilman since 2000. He chairs the town’s Democratic party and co-chairs the Albany County Democratic Committee.

He is running on the Democratic, Independence, and Conservative lines in the Nov. 6 election.

Bosworth said, now that the primaries are over, he’s ready for the town-wide race and is campaigning door-to-door.
The incumbent Democrat said that he doesn’t see the current town administration as a single-party board, but as a "three-party coalition," referring to the Independence and Conservative parties in addition to Democrats.
"Guilderland concerns are put first, not party concerns," Bosworth said of the current town board.
He said the town has adopted strong ethics laws and that Town Hall is "a meritocracy of employment," and that people are hired and appointed by their qualifications and they are promoted or fired by the same system.
"We look for people who are highly competent, not just competent"and there is a high level of morale," Bosworth said.

Bosworth pointed to the town’s five-member Industrial Development Agency board, out of which four are not Democrats, and he also pointed to other boards like the town’s planning board, with mixed political makeup. Theresa Coburn is an enrolled Republican and Paul Caputo is the town’s Independence Party chairman; both of them serve on the planning board, he said.
"I don’t think we have a monolithic involvement of the Democratic Party," said Bosworth. "We try to foster a feeling of openness."
Bosworth said he sees the continued re-election of the town board’s incumbents "as a good report card" and said, "I think our plurality in the numbers of voters is growing."

He added Guilderland’s interactive website, newsletter, and televised meetings are all examples of the town’s openness.

Taxes are always a big election issue, Bosworth said.
"I think we have been very, very, very careful," he said of the town’s spending. Bosworth cited cost-of-living raises of 3 to 4 percent and capital improvements as factors that affect budgets.
"We inherited some very serious infrastructure problems," Bosworth said, also using the supervisor’s example of the town’s "under-built" sewer plant. "We had had too much growth for the planned usage when it was built."

The town ended up budgeting $13 million for the project in the 2003 budget, but it ended up costing $11 million.
"The budget we inherited had no capital reserves. We had to do some bonding and that was a very big hurdle for us to get over," Bosworth said of the 2001 budget. "It was a crisis. The accounts were empty in terms of capital reserves."
Better planning and proper maintenance will prevent future capital improvements that cost "huge sums," Bosworth said, "so future administrations don’t face similar situations."

Bosworth also compared Guilderland to neighboring towns in Albany County, pointing to the town’s tax rate of 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed value compared to Colonie’s $2.75. He said the tax difference for a $200,000 home means a yearly tax of $50 in Guilderland and $550 in Colonie.
Referring to its Republican leadership, he called Colonie "the other-party town."
"Is the one-party government hurting Guilderland"" Bosworth asked rhetorically. "I don’t think so"We’re actually putting a good chunk of money into the reserve."

Bosworth credits the town’s comprehensive planning, which was adopted under the current administration, in helping Guilderland create sustainable growth.
"We know Glass Works is using the Smart Growth initiatives"and helping with open space issues," he said. "It fits in with our comprehensive plan. I think we’re ideally suited for this project."
"Intensive environmental study" for new developments and recent infrastructure improvements like the sewer treatment plant upgrade and municipal water line extensions make growth sustainable, Bosworth said.
"As NanoTech starts to develop"we can accommodate this, we are ready,’ he said. "It’s a good example of how we’ve been good managers."

Bosworth said the town’s trash situation needs to be looked into.
"Last year, when it came up"we as a town board stood up and opposed the expansion into the Pine Bush," Bosworth said. "I think we all feel on the town board, the landfill is being tapped out and some new initiatives are needed."
Bosworth said that, in the near future, a multi-county consortium will need to be created in the place of the current multi-municipality consortium "to solve our waste-management problems."

He said waste must be reduced.
"We’ve been very pro-active. We need new solutions and new thinking," Bosworth said. "This does put us into conflict with some municipalities who don’t see this," he said, referring to the city of Albany, which relies on landfill revenues to balance its annual budget.

As for zoning enforcement, Bosworth said the town tries to enforce its code in a fair and consistent manner, and he thinks it’s doing a very good job. Under the town’s previous supervisor, Jerry Yerberry, he said, there were no zoning officers working for the town.

Bosworth said that town zoning is an important quality-of-life issue.
"We have had a lot of congratulations," Bosworth said of the town’s enforcement. He said Guiderland is looking to increase enforcement and hire more zoning officers.
"I think we’ve been very fair and have certainly increased some tensions," Bosworth said, "but it’s certainly been for the best."

For town board Grimm vows to be a ‘watchdog’
Mark Grimm says it’s time for change and he has vowed to be the town’s "watchdog" if elected to town board.

Grimm is running on the Republican line in November, missing the Conservative line by 19 votes in the September primary.
He said that he is running in order to effect change and bring "fearless leadership" to Town Hall. Grimm said that his 12 years of experience as a television news anchor and reporter have given him the investigative skills to "uncover the truth hidden in Guilderland government."
"The campaign has been very good. I’ve been to thousands of doors," Grimm said. He is bicycling to many homes in town. "It’s the only way to beat incumbents, through a grassroots campaign."
Grimm said he is running on a number of issues, but that "the people’s blood is boiling" over taxes and the assessment of their homes.
"I can’t tell you how many people have complained to me about taxes and about the assessments," he said. "If you want change, vote for me and my running mate."

Grimm said that the town board is skewing its numbers when it comes to taxes.
"The idea that they haven’t raised taxes is false"It’s completely false," Grimm said. "The tax rate is determined by the assessed value of property"The assessed value is sky rocketing."
Although the "tax rate" hasn’t gone up, Grimm said, residents are paying a lot more taxes than they were seven years ago.

Not only have property values gone up, Grimm added, but town spending and salaries have also increased significantly. Town spending has increased by 70 percent between 1999 and 2005, Grimm said, and the town board has raised its pay by 89 percent since 1999.
"And that’s with a $3.4 million increase in sales tax," said Grimm, referring to revenues distributed through the county. "They’re spending it as soon they’re getting it"Where’s that money going""

Grimm said that all of his numbers can be verified at the New York State Comptroller’s Office. (See related letter to the editor.)

Maintaining that he is not running a negative campaign, Grimm said he is merely pointing to problems in the currently all-Democratic administration. He said a new voice is needed on the town board.
"We have one of the most secretive town governments in the state," Grimm said. "Everything is decided beforehand"There hasn’t been a single desenting vote on that board in over a year."
Grimm said he has uncovered "ethical lapses" during his campaign

He says there’s a conflict of interest with Bosworth’s co-chairing the county’s Democratic party and running his non-profit organization, largely funded through the Albany County Legislature, which is more than two-thirds Democratic.
Bosworth denied any "political improprieties" and questioned what his county position had to do with his job as a Guilderland councilman. He called Grimm’s accusations "personal and unwarranted" and added that no one had alleged a conflict prior to this town board race.

Grimm doesn’t see it that way.
"This improper arrangement is a glaring example of old-style politics," he said.
Grimm said he wants to have a televised debate with Bosworth and Ricard on a variety of issues, but he said, "They would rather eat glass than debate me on television."

Sending out press releases and speaking during the public-comment period at town-board meetings, Grimm continues to push for an investigation into the retirement of former police chief, James Murley.

He also takes issue with the town’s economic development director and grant writer, Donald Csaposs. Grimm said that economic development is about bringing businesses in to the town while managing growth and increasing revenues and maintaining services.
"The fact that Don Csaposs is the town’s director makes a mockery of economic development," Grimm said. "It is such a serious and complicated topic, we should have a professional."
He called Csaposs "a political operative" and questioned what he did at Town Hall.

Csaposs, Grimm, and Redlich have exchanged letters to the Enterprise editor for the past several weeks.
"We have all of these challenges and that’s all the more reason to have a professional," said Grimm.

The town’s zoning is a big factor in economic development, too, he said.
Calling the town’s zoning enforcement "counterproductive," Grimm said, "One of the things I see a lot are neighbors fighting with neighbors"and the town is usually like grease on a fire."
Grimm said that the town should create a mediation system for people to work out their differences before the zoning board and the court get involved. He added that the town has an anti-business climate and that it’s another example of the town having "two sets of rules."
"The town government’s attitude is ‘Come, kiss my ring,’" said Grimm, adding that the town needs to be more business friendly.

Grimm said he is not for the expansion of the Rapp Road Landfill into the Pine Bush.
"We should do what’s in the interest of the town of Guilderland, not the city of Albany," he said. "If they push, we have to push back."

For town board Ricard stands on original platform

On the board since1997, Democrat Michael Ricard is its longest-serving member. Ten years later, he wants to continue serving the residents of Guilderland, he said.

Ricard is running on the Democratic, Independence, and Conservative lines in November.
Although going door-to-door "every evening and every weekend" may be tiring, according to Ricard, he is just as committed as he was 10 years ago.
"I am still committed to my original platform. I ran on water and sewer improvements and fiscal responsibility for a rainy-day fund," said Ricard. "I’ve never really wavered. It didn’t matter who was on the board," he said of working with a previously Republican administration.

Two prime examples of adherence to his original platform, said Ricard, are the water extensions into western Guilderland passed by the board this year and another year without a tax-rate hike.
"I do all of my homework and I get the facts," Ricard said. "I’d like to continue my services to the town."

Ricard said that he enjoys working as part of a team with fellow Democrats, but that he doesn’t believe politics are a factor in the board’s function.
"I don’t think it’s an issue of one party or multiple parties," he said of serving on the board. "It’s a very open process. It has nothing to do with politics."
Ricard said that the public-comment period at the beginning of every town board meeting and the town’s televised meetings help make Guilderland "a very open government compared to other municipalities."

And fiscal responsibility, said Ricard, is something else that separates Guilderland from other municipalities.
"I think the current tax rate is good compared to other towns’ and our spending practices were very good," he said.
Being appointed to the town board in 1997, Ricard said there was " a ’96 tax increase because the fund balance was completely gone"Since then, we have increased our fund balance used to offset property costs."

Ricard said part of fiscal responsibility means only having to pay for improvements that are necessary. Fortunately, he said, the town has been able to get grant money in order to pay for extra projects and parks, which improve the quality of life.
"We do only what we have to do"I think we’re very good with our spending," Ricard said. "It’s nice that we’re able to accomplish all that we have in town, and do it conservatively."

Active planning, said Ricard, has not only prevented over-development and protected existing communities, but has set guidelines as Tech Valley takes hold in the area.
"Most of the municipalities accept that the TechValley growth is now a reality,he said. "The thing that we’ve done here is"the comprehensive plan, which contains the growth of the town."

The plan incorporates a formula that is used to calculate what resources will be consumed by a development, what revenue will be brought in, and what the overall impact on the town will be.
"We can actually take a formula to make a decision"We’re in a very good position to judge the impacts of these projects," Ricard said of large-scale development like the proposed Glass Works Village. "Other municipalities don’t have this master plan."
Ricard has come under fire by his Republican challengers, particularly by Redlich. He said that he only filed a suit against his challenger to "protect the integrity of the election process," because Redlich failed to properly file his substitution petition.
"As a lawyer, he should know how this works," Ricard said. Guilderland Zoning Board Chairman Peter Barber represented Ricard in the case.
He added that he has never attempted to dodge a debate with his opponents. Ricard said he thought Redlich went too far in his claims of "sweetheart assessment deals," asking Ridlich to apologize to the assessor’s office in a letter to the Enterprise editor in August.

Ricard said he only wants to focus on the issues.

One of those issues that Ricard spoke strongly of was the expansion of the Rapp Road Landfill into the Pine Bush Preserve.
"I for one"I do not support expansion into the Pine Bush," he said. "The Save the Pine Bush group works very hard to preserve that area and to see any of that taken back or destroyed is not acceptable."
Ricard said that Guilderland does not have to take its trash to Rapp Road and that there are plenty of other options that wouldn’t contribute to "the smell problem," in McKownville and other areas near the landfill.

The landfill benefits only Albany, he said.
"If there was a vote tomorrow to move our trash out of there," Ricard said. "I would do it."

The town’s zoning board tries to be both fair and consistent, he said, and there is no favoritism involving any of the cases that come before the board. The town zoning regulations are effective and beneficial to the town, Ricard said.
"Of course, you always have a few people who do not agree with that because they can’t get projects through," he concluded.

For town board Redlich offers choice

As a life-long Guilderland resident and area lawyer, Republican Warren Redlich is no stranger to local politics.

Redlich, who did not seek a third-party line in September’s primary, will be appearing on the Republican ballot in November. Redlich has unsuccessfully run for town board in the past, as well as running in back-to-back congressional races against Congressman Michael McNulty.
This year, Redlich said, he wants to give voters a clear choice between himself and Grimm and what he describes as "political insiders" running Town Hall.
"I think it’s going great. I think we’ve hit some hot-button issues," Redlich said. "We’ve encountered a lot of voters that it really matters to them, too."

Redlich is getting the word out by using his website and with the help of some political professionals.
"Mark is going door-to-door. It is something I do not have time to do," Redlich said of his running mate. "We have knowledgeable campaign managers working with us"I think we really have a good team this year."

Redlich decided to run for town board after he helped Mark Grimm and Barbara Davis gather signatures and hand out literature. When Davis declined her party’s nomination, Redlich was asked to run in her stead on a substitution ballot.

Redlich said he was honored to run.
It is "very important to have at least two parties represented on the board if not multiple parties," he said, and the current political makeup of the town board does not reflect the number of enrolled residents in various political parties.
"As one of their big issues in the late 1990s, the Democrats said the town had too closed of a government," Redlich said. "I think it’s one of the reasons we haven’t seen any discussion at the meetings"That’s not open government.

Redlich said voters aren’t being told the truth about taxes.
"It’s not about the [tax] rate, it’s about the taxes," said Redlich. "My house was assessed in 2000 at $185,000 and in 2005 it was raised to $265,000, a 43 percent increase.

By keeping the tax-rate the same, his taxes went up 43 percent, Redlich said.
Challenging his assessment in 2005, during what Redlich has described as a "botched Grievance Day," he sued the town and got his assessment lowered to a 30-percent increase, he said.
He said the town’s assessments also need to be looked at, and he has repeatedly accused Ricard of having a "sweetheart deal" for his home’s assessment.
"Mike Ricard is the perfect example of that"and it’s wrong," Redlich said of special treatment and "political insiders" benefiting from town-board positions.
"My taxes are up at least 20 percent and, as for spending,"spending is up 70 percent since 1999," Redlich said. "It’s up much more than places like Colonie"They are hiding and distorting the numbers."
Redlich asked, "Where has the money gone""

He is not impressed with the facilities at Tawasentha Park, Redlich said, in particular the pool area, adding that the real comparison between Guilderland and Colonie should be the parks system and quality-of-life services and amenities.
"A lot of parents bring their kids to The Crossings of Colonie," he said of the neighboring town’s park. "I bet if you took a survey of the people over there, a lot of them would be from here in Guilderland"The pool at Tawasentha is terrible."

Development shouldn’t be a problem as a result of TechValley, Redlich said, but the town’s economic development trends should be re-evaluated.
"I don’t think we’re going to see a big impact on Guilderland aside from people moving in," said Redlich. "I don’t think we’re going to see a Luther Forest in Guilderland," he said, referring to a technology campus in Ballston Spa.

Redlich said that Guilderland should look into other economic developments opportunities such as windmills to provide energy, and revenue-generating businesses that do not require traffic studies.
"Windmills don’t create traffic," he said.

Redlich also took issue with the town’s economic development director, Donald Csaposs, and said the town’s current zoning regulations are illegal.
"I don’t know what he does"I think he just writes letters to the editor," Redlich said of Csaposs.
Redlich also said he’s against town zoning regulations "going too far."
"We currently have an illegal zoning scheme"I’ve sued the town over it once, it probably won’t be the last time," Redlich said of a suit he filed against Guilderland in 2003. "The way our zoning scheme is set up"certain businesses that could be built in an area, they can’t build there."

Redlich used the example of the four drug stores on or near the corners of routes 20 and 155 of specific zoning requirements. He said the town is over-regulated in disallowing certain businesses in certain areas. It causes the concentrations of similar businesses and congests traffic, he said.
"If I don’t have enough parking spaces, my business won’t do well," Redlich said during his 2003 lawsuit against the town’s code. "I shouldn’t need a permit to tell me that."

The regulations also keep out business, he said.
"There’s no car dealerships in Guilderland. Why are there no car dealerships in Guilderland"" Redlich asked. "People have to travel to Schenectady or Albany to get their cars fixed"we’re just creating more traffic on Western Avenue."
Redlich said the zoning board is trying to run people’s businesses and has no right to do so. He added, "You shouldn’t have to get a special-use permit for everything."

When it comes to the landfill, Redlich said, it shouldn’t have been built so close to the city, but that town residents cannot regulate the city of Albany.
"My personal view is that landfills should not be located in cities; they should be located away from people"there are better places for a landfill," said Redlich, who’s law firm on Western Avenue Extension is nearby the landfill. "We should do more to minimize waste"and the town should make a choice and it should be in the interest of the taxpayer."