GOP challenger Schultz says he’ll fight ‘machine’



NEW SCOTLAND – Gary Schultz’s family has been living in the town of New Scotland since the early 1900s, he said. Schultz, a registered Conservative, is making his first run, in a four-way race for one of two town board seats, on the Republican line.
"My family’s roots and my whole life is in town," said Schultz. His father owned a business in town, was the mayor of the village of Voorheesville, and was a town justice, he said.
"I was asked to run by the Republican Party because of my background," said Schultz, who has run his own consulting business for the past seven years. He said he has been in the same industry for 30 years.
"I saw this as a way to pay back my civic duty and give back to the town," Schultz said.
"There is a political machine running this town," said Schutlz. Right now, he said, "the machine" consists of Democrats. "It’s about power, and it’s about control," he said.
"I don’t want a political machine running our town anymore," said Schultz. "I’ve been shell-shocked by how blatant they are about their behavior," he said. "If the group I’m running with wins, we can dismantle that machine," he added.

Schultz, 60, is married with two adult children and two stepchildren, he said.
"For the most part, I don’t think our citizens participate in town government," he said. "I think we need to do whatever we can to encourage more participation by the populace in town government.
"The role of our town board, in my opinion, is to be proactive in a pursuit to realize economic growth, and to have a real strategy," said Schultz.
"We need proper commercial business. We need proper zoning that accommodates our seniors," he said. "There are people who don’t have water or sewer needs [met]. We need to find answers," Schultz said.
"The machine needs to be dismantled so we can have a town government, not town politics," he said.

Town issues
"In my opinion, issues we are concerned about are old issues that have been issues in the town for the last 12 years or more," said Schultz.
Regarding public water, Schultz said, the town needs to explore new wells. "We need to discover where and how to develop new wells," he said.
"New Scotland has a reservoir in it, and gives it out to Bethlehem," Schultz said of Bethlehem’s Vly Creek Reservoir. The town needs to negotiate with the town of Bethlehem, he said. "We need to work out an arrangement to get some of our water back," he said.
Updating the town’s comprehensive plan said Schultz "is way overdue."
Despite the attempts of Supervisor Ed Clark to update the plan, "It was cut short," he said.
"We have an antiquated master plan. It needs to be revised," he said.
"We need to investigate where and in what form we can entice commercial business," he said. "We are under-commercialized," he added.
"We need zoning to provide proper housing for our aging population," said Schultz. "We need to develop the hamlets in a proper way in town, so we have proper residential development" Proper housing means easing the tax burden," he said.

Affordable housing is something that Schultz says should be addressed in the comprehensive plan.
"I’d like to get feedback from a licensed professional town planner, and feedback from town residents," said Schultz. "Hear what everyone has to say and make an informed decision."

Recommendations from the Residents’ Planning Advisory Committee have not been properly considered and are under-utilized, said Schultz.
"The machine is a boulder," he said.
The recommendations need "further investigation and proactive attention by a bipartisan group of people," Schultz said.
"I think we need a lot more of it, and we need to listen to it, and invite those people in our houses," said Schultz of public input.
There are over 6,000 registered voters in the town of New Scotland, said Schultz. "Every government official needs to listen to every single one of them that wants to talk," he said.
"We need more input from people," he said. "I wish far more people would be invested and interested in town government."
The public can be more involved in the planning process if they are more informed, said Schultz. The town needs to work to make people more informed, he said.
"We need to have user-friendly websites — maybe several of them," he said. "We’ve got to try and do something," he said, suggesting mailing surveys to residents, inquiring as to what issues concern them.
"It’s a challenge," he conceded, regarding increasing public involvement.

Schultz said he feels that the information put forth by residents regarding the proposed senior-housing overlay zone was largely ignored.
"I don’t want to hear just good news, I want to hear all the news," he said. "If anybody is passionate about an issue, I think they ought to have a voice."
Residents who voice their concerns are healthy for the town, said Schultz. "I wish there were more people who cared enough to speak up," he said.
Regarding the comprehensive plan, Schultz said he believes the board was wrong. "There is enough reason to look at the plan. It is substantive," he said.
"The comprehensive plan needs to be completely overhauled. It is too old," he said. "It needs to be reviewed and overhauled by experts, town residents, and the board," he said.
With the current administration, said Schultz; "personal agendas and personal careers are the basis of decisions rather than good government."

Given the size of the town and the availability of commercial space, Schultz said, New Scotland is underdeveloped commercially.
"We lag way behind other towns in that regard," he said.
"One of the most beautiful aspects of our town is the rural character," he said. "I don’t want to lose that for the sake of a buck. Commercial property needs to be thoroughly investigated.
"Having been involved thus far for the first time in any sort of campaign for election," said Schultz, "it’s become clear to me why 35 percent of our population does not seem to want to be involved in any political party."
Voters not enrolled in a political party are a segment of the town’s population that is growing, Schultz said. "The town still belongs to them," he said.
"I would encourage people to vote your conscience" Forget politics, vote for your town," Schultz concluded.