GUILDERLAND — Democratic incumbent Supervisor Peter Barber is being challenged again by Republican Brian Forte, who ran against him two years ago, when Barber was elected for the first time. The race was tight.

Barber is an attorney who left his position as partner in a law firm he founded to serve as supervisor.

Forte is a long-time firefighter and past chief of the Guilderland Fire Department. He served on the town board from 2012 to 2015.

Four candidates are running for two seats on the town board.

The two Democratic incumbents, Patricia Slavick and Paul Pastore, are running for the seats they have held since 2000 and 2006, respectively. Pastore served as the assistant town attorney and counsel to the planning board for five years before being elected to the town board.

The two challengers, both enrolled as Conservatives, are Michele Coons and Kathy Burbank. Coons manages the merchant-services department of the Retail Council of New York State. In addition, she served as town comptroller for two years, from 1998 through 1999. Burbank led the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce for seven years and was a member of the Guilderland Zoning Review Committee, which revised the zoning code, for five years. Both Coons and Burbank also sell real estate.

The entire Democratic slate — including the candidates who are unopposed — has been endorsed by the Conservative and Independence parties, even though the two challengers for town board are enrolled Conservatives.

The full-time position of supervisor pays $113,099, and the salary for a town board member, a part-time post, is $24,197.

In addition to the board races, two incumbent town justices, Denise Randall and Richard Sherwood, are unopposed. Each is running on the Democratic, Republican,  Conservative, and Independence party lines.

Each town justice, a part-time post, receives an annual salary of $51,170.

Also, the incumbent town clerk, Jean Cataldo, and the incumbent receiver of taxes, Lynne Buchanan, are unopposed. Each is running on the Democratic, Conservative, and Independence party lines.

The full-time clerk post and the receiver-of-taxes post each carry a salary of $59,495.

The issues

The board candidates were asked about these issues:

— Revaluation: School-tax bills went up as much as 19 percent for town residents not in the Guilderland School District as a result of the new state-set equalization rate for Guilderland. Guilderland had not done a town-wide revaluation for 12 years, even though municipalities are recommended to do one every four to five years. When the rolls get skewed, newcomers to town often pay an unfair share of taxes.

At a meeting last month, the town board suggested that the problem lies with the limited sampling the state used to determine the rate, including, for commercial properties.

Sampling had to be used because properties were not recently revalued. Is it misleading to say that the selection of sample properties is the problem? Is the real problem the town’s failure to reassess in a more timely way? Should the town commit to regular revaluation?

— Blight: Guilderland’s zoning code was amended and updated in 2016 and now includes language that more clearly defines how the town can determine if a building has been “abandoned.” It stops short, though, of allowing the town to do anything about an abandoned building unless it is in violation of safety codes: for instance, if it is in danger of falling in, or if windows are not properly boarded up.

The town stepped in to demolish the home at 7 Ayre Drive in McKownville last year because of fears that the burned-out building might collapse, but it has never demolished the abandoned “gas station” just east of Crossgates on Western Avenue or the abandoned bank property on Western Avenue and Route 146 that is almost covered over with vines and trees. What, if anything, should the town do to force owners to either begin using or sell abandoned commercial properties even when they pose no direct safety threat?

— Sidewalks: Guilderland’s comprehensive plan calls for sidewalks and bike paths. The town has, since the 1980s, required developers to install sidewalks at commercial and multi-family residential sites. Many major thoroughfares, however, do not have continuous sidewalks or bike lanes.

The town has partnered with the county to put sidewalks on Schoolhouse, Fuller, and Johnston roads, and has received state funds for building sidewalks along Route 20, McKown Road, Carman Road, and Route 146.

At least one resident has suggested that, since building sidewalks is so expensive, town workers could build blacktop paths instead. Is that a viable option? Where in town should sidewalks be built, and how?

— Welcoming immigrants: Guilderland has many residents from around the world. Close to 20 percent of the students at Guilderland and at Westmere elementary schools come from families that are new to the country. The state’s attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, has stated that he will work with attorneys general from 15 other states to “ensure that the federal government obeys the Constitution, respects our history as a nation of immigrants, and does not unlawfully target anyone because of their national origin or religion.”

In January Schneiderman issued guidelines for police departments across the state to follow, as part of the sanctuary movement. The nearby city of Albany and town of Bethlehem have adopted similar models. Guilderland Police Chief Carol Lawlor said at that time that, without proper authorization such as a court warrant, “We don’t go out and collect information.”

What should Guilderland do, as a town, to ensure that residents are not afraid, for instance, to go the police if they are the victims of crime, or go to the emergency room if they are injured? Should Guilderland become a “sanctuary town”?

— Garbage: The two landfills in Albany County will soon be filled. Guilderland has helped reduce waste by chipping up yard refuse to make usable mulch. The neighboring town of Bethlehem has started a curbside pickup and composting of food scraps. Should Guilderland start a compost center? And should Guilderland impose its own stricter regulations on recycling, both to cut costs and help the environment?