BERNE—During his tumultuous first four years in office, Supervisor Kevin Crosier has overseen a number of changes in the town of Berne, from a new transfer station to a sewer project. Though he was elected on the Republican ticket, the rest of the town board, all Democrats, have supported Crosier’s ideas with one unanimous vote after another.

Only on the most controversial vote of Crosier’s term, in January to rezone the hamlet of Berne, was the board split, but not along party lines. Two of the four Democratic board members voted against the rezoning, and one is now running for supervisor.

Both major parties have backed candidates for supervisor and for town board. Voters will cost their ballots Nov. 8 for two of the four council candidates and one of the two supervisor candidates; the top vote-getters will assume office on Jan. 1.

Three-term Councilman Mark Huth, a Democrat who voted with Crosier on the rezoning, is not seeking reelection, guaranteeing there will be at least one change to the town board in 2006.

Democrats outnumber Republicans about four to one in the town of Berne and, for decades, the government has been dominated by Democrats.

The part-time supervisor is paid an annual salary of $12,500 and the council members are paid $3,100 each. Both posts carry four-year terms.

The rural town has a population of about 2,800 and an annual budget of about $1.6 million.

The issues

The Enterprise interviewed the candidates for supervisor and town board and asked questions on five issues:

—Hamlet rezoning: The most divisive issue in the past few years in Berne was the rezoning of the hamlet of Berne from largely residential to traditional neighborhood mixed use. Some opposed the inclusion of gas stations in the hamlet while others opposed the entire plan. Candidates were asked if they thought the plan was good for the town and, if not, how they would have changed it.

Stewart’s caused controversy by planning a convenience store and gas station for the center of the hamlet, but withdrew its plan because of the new zoning.

—Rezoning throughout the town: Currently, with the help of a grant from the Capital District Transportation Committee, the town is investigating making similar zoning changes in the hamlet of East Berne. Candidates were asked if such a thing were needed in East Berne or other parts of town.

—Growth: If Tech Valley becomes a reality in the Capital Region, some say it would mean a lot of people would move to the Hilltowns. Candidates were asked how they would balance that with preserving the town’s farms and open space.

—Taxes: Candidates were asked how important it is for the town to keep taxes low and how it should do that.

—The space crunch: The Berne Library and the Town Hall, which share an old hotel building, are facing a severe space problem. Candidates were asked what the town could do to help solve the problem and if they supported constructing or purchasing a new town hall.

SUPERVISOR
Kevin Crosier

Though he told The Enterprise a few months ago he was considering offers to run for higher office, Supervisor Kevin Crosier, a registered Democrat, has thrown his hat in the ring for re-election, winning the nominations of the Republican, Conservative, and Working Families parties.
"I’m running because I’ve been a life-long resident in the town of Berne and I have a commitment to my community," Crosier said.

Crosier, 47, works as a member of the Albany Fire Department, and has been recognized twice for bravery. He is a graduate of Berne-Knox-Westerlo High School and paramedic school. Crosier is a founding member of the Friends of the Heldberbergs, a Hilltown group that works to preserve open space while strengthening the local economy.

Before becoming supervisor in 2001, Crosier had not held public office. His father, John Crosier, is the chairman of the Berne Planning Board.

Crosier notes some of his proudest accomplishments in office: balancing the budget and creating a surplus, bringing $1.25 million in grant money to Berne, and making Berne Heritage Days an annual event.

As he speaks, he continually returns to his two favorite topics: preserving open space and maintaining a rural economy.
"We need to have an agriculture and rural-based economy. That is the key to the next four years," Crosier said, "preserving the things that I had when I was a kid growing up here." His parents ran a store in East Berne.

On the Berne hamlet plan, Crosier is an enthusiastic supporter, both of the plan itself and the discussion it created in the town.
"We opened up government. We made it an open process," Crosier said. "We need to protect our rural character, and we did that."

Successful local economies are created only when a municipal government involves itself in the economy, as Berne did with the hamlet plan, Crosier said. Berne used to have plenty of businesses, but they left, and now they’re coming back, he said.
"Why are they" Because the town government is involved and we are committed to making a good economy," Crosier said. "The past administration just wasn’t involved."

On zoning in other parts of town, Crosier supports clustering business in the existing hamlets.
"Business opportunities should be where businesses have historically been in town for the past 100 years," Crosier said. "I don’t believe that businesses should be placed in green farm fields."

The Hilltown Market, run by the Friends of the Helderbergs weekly through the summer, is evidence that this economic model can sustain the town, Crosier said.
"We have and agricultural economy in the Hilltowns and it’s alive and well and it’s going to get better," he said.

On impending growth, Crosier said he has been in contact with County Executive Mike Breslin and the people behind Tech Valley and they support his ideas for rural preservation. If a population explosion hits the Capital Region, instead of a location for new homes, the Hilltowns can be a destination for those seeking recreation, locally made products, and temporary relief from crowded cities and suburbs, Crosier said.
"We have one thing that nobody else in Albany County has: rich natural resources," he said.

Berne can work with Tech Valley if Tech Valley helps the town keep its resources, Crosier said.
"We can’t, obviously, keep building out of the Hilltowns, but there are ways we can slow it down," he said.

On taxes, Crosier cites his record. He has prepared a budget for 2006 that has an estimated decrease of 1 percent in the tax rate, he said. The town is paying less for workers’ compensation than it did in 2001, and, even with a new transfer station under construction, the town will pay less in 2006 to operate it than it did in 2001, Crosier said.
"How did we do this" Because we got our spending in line and we did good budgeting," Crosier said.

Now, he said, the town has a half-million-dollar surplus, which it can use for projects like the transfer station without raising taxes. For example, Crosier said, if the town uses the surplus to pay off the debt on the transfer station, it will still have about $360,000 left to use for a project like a new town hall.
"We’re in very good shape to see a new town hall or library," he said.

James Hamilton

Councilman James Hamilton thinks he’s the man to bring peace to the warring neighbors in Berne.
"This has been a contentious period in the town of Berne," Hamilton said. "I would like to bring the town back together. This is a wonderful town and I hate to see people arguing with each other."

The Democratic candidate for supervisor is halfway through his first elected term on the town board. Hamilton was appointed to the town board to fill a vacant seat and then ran successfully two years ago. Before that, he was a member of the Berne Youth Council.

In addition to the Democrats, Hamilton has won the nomination of the Independence Party and is endorsed by New York League of Conservation Voters. As a write-in candidate, Hamilton tied Crosier in the primary for the Conservative Party nomination, but the party’s committee broke the tie by choosing Crosier.

Hamilton, 51, works as an assistant professor of industry at Hudson Valley Community College. He is near completion of a master’s degree in education, and holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology. He is a graduate of Voorheesville’s Clayton A. Bouton High School.

Hamilton noted his experience on the board of directors of the Hilltowns Players and the Berne-Knox-Westerlo Community Track Committee.
"Almost anything I’ve been involved with, I’ve ended up in the management end of it," Hamilton said.

Hamilton feels his personality and management experience suits him for the supervisor position.
"I’m easy to get along with," Hamilton said. "I can see both sides of an issue."
Among his ideas for the town, Hamilton wants the government to have better communication with the residents. He says he will run meetings, "in the spirit of the New York State Open-Meetings Law," publish agendas before meetings, and make the supervisor’s phone number and office hours available.

Hamilton also wants to bring bicycle lanes to the main roads through the hamlet of Berne. Bicycle lanes are cheaper and easier to get than sidewalks, he said.
"It troubles me every time I see a 12-year-old on County Route 443 at dusk," he said.
On the rezoning, Hamilton said, "It needed to be done. I believe the rezoning is good. I’m not sure I agree with the way it was handled. There were people who feel there were mistakes."

However, Hamilton said, gas stations should not be allowed right in middle of the town’s hamlet; they should be on the edges.
"It isn’t the typical business that people want standing between their houses," he said.

Just before Hamilton voted against the rezoning in January, he said he would vote for it if it didn’t allow gas stations in the hamlet.
On zoning in other parts of town, Hamilton said, "I feel we should allow more business throughout town, open up our zoning."

For example, Hamilton said, if someone wanted to open a new sawmill in town, the only place the zoning allows it is in the hamlet of East Berne.
"That makes no sense whatsoever," he said.

Hamilton said the town’s zoning can be used to control the impending growth that may come with Tech Valley.
"There is a good chance we will have growth in this town," Hamilton said. "We have to zone properly so that our growth is slow and it’s where we want it to be."

Part of this, he said, would be to preserve open space and farmland.
"There are not really that many farms left in the town of Berne, or Albany County," Hamilton said. "It’s very important."
On taxes, Hamilton said, "The town of Berne taxes are relatively stable. They have been for a long time. The biggest complaint I hear from people is about school taxes. Part of the problem is we’re a rural community."
To help keep costs down, though, Hamilton said, "One of the things I intend to do is pursue grant funding, which I will if elected, or just as a councilman."

The town has considered hiring a grant writer for this task, but Hamilton said a grant committee of volunteers would be better.
"I think we have professional people in this town with the skills we need," Hamilton said.

On the space crunch, Hamilton supports either the town hall or the library moving to a new location.
"We really need to go with one [of the options] in a decent period of time," Hamilton said. "The library is very cramped."

Hamilton suggested that there may be more grant money available to fund the library’s move than the town hall’s.

TOWN BOARD
Joseph Golden

Councilman Joseph Golden, a Democrat, feels that already having served one four-year term on the town board gives him the experience necessary to be effective in a second term.
"For anyone on the town board, it takes a while," Golden said. "What you learn in the first term is invaluable."

Golden wants to use his experience to help the town and see through projects that he was involved with during his first term, like the establishment of the Berne hamlet sewer district.

Golden, 63, of East Berne, is a retired government and economics teacher. He formerly served on the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School Board and the Berne Planning Board. He’s a graduate of Berne-Knox High School and the State University of New York College at New Paltz. He served four years in the United States Marine Corps.

Golden said he tries to represent the whole town, not just those people who attend town meetings. This philosophy has led him to ask questions at board meetings, a practice which, he said, is often mistaken as hostility by those in attendance. He doesn’t apologize for that.
"I don’t think I can be passive in a representative government," Golden said.

On the Berne hamlet, Golden said the controversy was good for the town. It led to discussion and participation in government, he said.
"I think people got in the habit and came to meetings," Golden said.
On the zoning itself, Golden said, "Like most things, it’s more complex than either/ or." Though he voted for the zoning, Golden was "undecided right up to the last minute," over the inclusion of gas stations, he said.

Golden said he was disappointed Stewart’s chose the location it did, but glad the zoning prevented the store from moving in.
"I think the zoning was very well constructed. I think Nan Stolzenberg was one of the best investments that we made," he said, referring to the town’s planner.
On zoning elsewhere, Golden said, "I think there are a lot of things in the zoning that are vague. Somebody needs to go down in there and define things."
For example, Golden said, regulations regarding road frontage aren’t specific enough. The zoning needs to be clarified, "particularly for people who can’t afford to get an attorney," he said.

On possible growth in the Hilltowns, Golden said it’s already happening, Tech Valley or not. He cited the 22 building permits issued for new homes in Berne in the past year.
"Change is going to come," Golden said. "You have to manage it or it manages you."
The town needs to be aware that it has rural areas and "suburban enclaves" like the hamlets, Golden said. Regulations, like one in Guilderland that doesn’t allow commercial vehicles to park in driveways overnight, may be completely inappropriate in Berne, he said.
"I want to make sure we get ahead of those kinds of things and say, ‘Time out,’" Golden said.
At the same time, he said, "We also have to be realistic about infrastructure." More than in the past, residents expect paved roads, sewers, and water, he said.

On taxes, Golden said they may never go down unless there is a radical change.
"I think what you’re going to have to do is change how you’re going to collect them," he said.

Property tax is one of the worst ways to collect taxes, he said, because assessments are based on the potential development value of property, not what its owners are able to pay.
"If I was in charge, I would think we would start transferring more and more to an income-based tax," Golden said.
Although the decision to change the tax system would be made by the state, Golden said, the town can do its part by continually monitoring the problem and "keep beating on elected officials at the state level."

Golden cited STAR, the state’s School Tax Relief program, which gives set assessment reductions to any property-owner who applies, and an added break to senior citizens.
"That came from political pressure," Golden said.

On the space crunch, Golden, who serves as the town board’s liaison to the library board, said he thinks the library will probably be able to move out of the town hall to a larger space elsewhere on its own, allowing the town government to expand into the whole building.
"I don’t think anybody’s opposed to the library," he said.

Wayne Emory

Democrat Wayne Emory wants to take on the challenge of the town board as he did the challenge of the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School Board several years ago. The former school board member is running for town government for the first time. He decided to run, he said, after several people approached him about filling Councilman Mark Huth’s empty seat.
"I’ve always taken an active interest in what I’ve gotten involved in," Emory said.

Emory, 48, works as a graphic artist for the New York State Lottery. Originally from Fort Plain, he is a graduate of Bryant and Stratton College. In the Hilltowns, he has been involved in the Boy Scouts and a BKW shared decision-making team, and was a recipient of the BKW School District award for outstanding contribution to the district.

Though he admits they are very different organizations, he feels much of his experience from the school board can be applied to the town board. The rest he can learn, he said.
"I wouldn’t call myself a leader, but I’m a quick learner," Emory said.
On the Berne hamlet and zoning in general, Emory said, "The fact that they had to re-examine it is a very important thing." A similar re-examination should take place in the rest of the town, he said.
"Rules have changed and regulations have changed over the years and it really needs to be looked at," Emory said.
On growth in the Hilltowns, Emory said, "I think it’s important to maintain some kind of a balance."

This could be done, he suggested, as the town revisits its zoning.

Emory also calls for balance when it comes to taxes.
"It’s a difficult thing you have to do," he said. "When you can cut, you cut. On the other hand, you have to figure out what’s best for the town."

A fiscally responsible town board member has to consider the needs of the town with the needs of the taxpayers who are footing the bill, he said.
"It’s very important for a representative that they represent all the people honestly and openly," Emory said. "If the taxpayer puts you there, it’s a very high priority."

On the space crunch, Emory noted that the library has changed from a place just to get books into a place to gather information. It’s good the library is looking for space elsewhere, whether the town assists in that effort or not, he said.
"They’re going to have to do something," Emory said. "Space is an issue for everyone."

Mary Overbaugh
"If I don’t get out there and do my public service for my community and myself, I have no reason to sit back and complain about everything," said Mary Overbaugh, a Republican candidate for town board.

Overbaugh believes her personality is perfectly suited to the board.
"I’m very up-front and open with my opinions," she said. "I have to investigate something before I can make a decision. I’m never pushed into a decision. I’m going to do what I think is best for everybody."

A Berne resident for two decades, Overbaugh, 42, works as an office assistant for Karner Psychological Associates. A graduate of Guilderland High School, Overbaugh came to the Hilltowns after she married a life-long Berne resident. She lives in the hamlet of Berne.

If elected, Overbaugh wants to work on creating a water district in the hamlet along with the sewer district. Residents now have to rely on wells, which are drying up in some places, Overbaugh said.
"I would just like to see my neighbors have water," she said.
On the Berne hamlet zoning, Overbaugh said, "I was very much for it. It’s going to bring small business to town, and, hopefully, help us cut some of our taxes."

Overbaugh was heartened that the zoning change kept Stewart’s out of the hamlet.
"I didn’t want these big commercial businesses coming in to the town and turning it into a Central Avenue," she said.
On zoning elsewhere in the town and possible growth, Overbaugh said, "There’s an awful lot of open land here and sprawl is going to happen if we’re not careful."

She said the whole town should be rezoned like the hamlet.
"I don’t want a Wal-Mart in there. I don’t want a Price Chopper in there," Overbaugh said.

However, she said, small businesses are the key to keeping taxes low. She would like small businesses to return to the town.
"Ten years ago, we used to have all the restaurants and gas stations and things the families can do together," she said. "Right now, there’s nothing...The more businesses get in here, the more they can feed off of one another."

On the space crunch, Overbaugh supports remodeling or renovating the old town hall and library building itself.

If grant money were available to fund it, Overbaugh would support moving the town hall or building a new one, but she doesn’t think the town has enough surplus funds on its own for such a project.
"I’d have to look into it further," she said.

Rudolph Stempel

Rudolph Stempel, a one-time Berne town supervisor, wants to use his experience to represent the people of the town.
"I believe I can help the town because I’m versed in town government," Stempel said.

A Republican, Stempel, 76, has lived in Berne his whole life, except for a three-year stint in the Korean War. He owns and operates a saw mill, Rudy’s Rough Cut Lumber, in East Berne.

Stempel served one two-year term as supervisor in the 1980’s and has run for supervisor, unsuccessfully, several times since then.

He said the current town board doesn’t make its decisions based on what the people of the town want.
"I would rely on what the people want," Stempel said, "bring their ideas up forward."
On the hamlet rezoning, Stempel said, "I would think it’s up to the people how they want the town zoned. I think it should have been brought before the people themselves."

Stempel said he would have supported letting the people in the hamlet decide on the rezoning plan by vote.

On zoning in the rest of the town, Stempel said the same thing.
"I think it’s up to the people," he said.
On growth and preserving agriculture and open space, Stempel said, "I think it’s important to preserve the farmland. Whether you know it or not, we’re going to be out of food one day."

This can be done, he said, by lowering taxes.
"Lower the taxes so that the farmer can live," Stempel said.

On taxes, Stempel said he supports more careful spending. For example, he said, while the new transfer station is a good project, it’s too extravagant.
"Don’t go to such extremes," he said.

On the space crunch, Stempel said he supports building or buying a new town hall.