WESTERLO — Decades of Democratic dominance ended two years ago in Westerlo, although enrollment for the GOP is dwarfed by the Democrats.

In 2019, the Westerlo Republicans got two out of three of their candidates elected to the town board, gaining a 3-to-2 advantage, losing only the supervisor’s race, to incumbent Democrat Bill Bichteman, who has since resigned.

Now, they’re about to take all the board seats available and install one of their own as supervisor, with the support of the Democratic Party, which endorsed nearly the same set of candidates. 

Deputy Supervisor Matthew Kryzak — whose election in 2019 is what gave Republicans the majority — has been running the town since Bichteman’s resignation this summer, and is seeking election to the supervisor position for the two years that remain in the term. 

Lorraine Pecylak and Josh Beers are running to fill two town board seats now occupied by incumbents who are not seeking re-election. One of those seats belongs to Democrat Joseph Boone — the only remaining Democrat on the board — and the other to Republican Richard Filkins, who is not seeking re-election. 

The Westerlo Town Board is currently made up of just four board members instead of the usual five because Kryzak is filling in as supervisor; when he’s sworn in to that position, his current town board seat will be made vacant and the board will have the opportunity to appoint a new member who will serve until the end of 2022. By then, the public will have elected someone to fill out the remaining three years of the term.

So, the only contest in Westerlo this year is between Town Justice Ken Mackey, a Democrat who is seeking re-election, and Stuard Elderd, a Republican and former corrections officer who told The Enterprise this week that he wants to get more involved in the town.

Although Republicans took over the board in January 2020, the Democrats were not interrupted (COVID aside) in their pursuit of stronger renewable energy laws and the town’s first codified comprehensive plan, all of which were passed just recently by unanimous votes, with Kryzak overseeing the final stages. 

With those projects out of the way, and no real intra-party conflicts to speak of, the town Republicans are looking ahead to new projects. This week, The Enterprise spoke with all candidates except Beers, who could not be reached, to hear their thoughts about the next four years. 

Kryzak

Matthew Kryzak, 39, is a registered Republican who was first elected on that line in 2019, as a town board member. He replaced former councilman Anthony Sherman, a Democrat who lost his bid for re-election. 

Kryzak indicated to The Enterprise before that election that he’s a moderate, which has held true in his two years on the board. Although he ran alongside planning board chairwoman Dotty Verch, an aggressive advocate for renewable energy development who was competing against then-Acting Supervisor Bill Bichteman for the supervisor position, Kryzak ultimately voted with Bichteman and Democrat Joseph Boone on a number of key issues while the other Republicans on the board — Amie Burnside and Richard Filkins — voted oppositely. 

For instance, Kryzak, a business manager for his family’s company, Multi-Phase Contracting Corp., voted to authorize Highway Superintendent Jody Ostrander to lay off two highway workers after the COVID-19 pandemic threw the town’s finances into disarray. Kryzak initially sided with Burnside and Filkins, who opposed the layoffs, but was swayed over to Bichteman’s side after reviewing the town’s financial condition. 

However, Kryzak was not a reliable vote on Bichteman’s side, as evidenced by the wrath Kryzak and the Republicans incurred after voting to appoint then-Deputy Town Clerk Karla Weaver as acting town clerk after former Town Clerk Kathy Spinnato retired on relatively short notice in 2020, around the same time the town was having contentious budget discussions. The motion, made by Burnside, was a surprise to Bichteman and Boone and passed 3-to-2 along party lines. 

Bichteman told The Enterprise after the meeting that he had important information related to the appointment that he planned to disclose in an executive session at the end of that meeting. He told the Republicans as he cast his dissenting vote that they “didn’t understand the ramifications” of the motion. It’s not known what exactly Bichteman was referring to. 

“I’ve always said that, even on a good day, this is a very taxing position,” Kryzak told The Enterprise this week. “You can never please everybody, and in my case, I’m not trying to please everybody. I’m doing this to try to make the town better.”

Kryzak, who right now is working with the board to finalize the town’s 2022 budget, said that his overarching goals as supervisor are to spur “responsible economic growth,” and promote transparency.

“I believe 100-percent that everybody needs to be involved, everyone needs to know what’s going on and have access to that information, so they can make informed decisions.” Kryzak said. “...Having the right ethics and being transparent and making sure the information is out there does wonders for the population.”

Of local businesses, he said that the pandemic “really shed a light on home-based businesses and … online businesses,” and that he wants to make sure that residents have as much opportunity as possible to realize their small-business dreams and nourish the town’s tax base as a result. 

“A lot of people have found alternate sources of income to supplement, in some cases, what might be insufficient income during certain times of the year,” Kryzak said. “And I think home-based businesses and small businesses can help a lot of people provide a better lifestyle for their family. I want to try to help grow that small business opportunity.”

He said that agritourism is an area that many nearby municipalities have capitalized on that Westerlo should look into. However, marijuana dispensaries won’t likely be an option in the town. 

Municipalities in New York State have until the end of the year to opt out of a default agreement with the state to allow marijuana dispensaries and on-site consumption facilities to exist within each municipality’s borders, following the legalization of marijuana earlier this year. Westerlo, like the rest of the Hilltowns, has yet to take that action, but Kryzak said it’s likely to happen.

“We haven’t made a 100-percent decision, yet,” Kryzak said, “We probably will hold a public hearing on that once we get through the budget season, but the gist from everybody I’ve spoken to is, ‘Let the other towns be the guinea pig and let them work the kinks out.’ We can always opt [back] in.”

Kryzak compared the marijuana facilities to renewable energy ones, which began popping up in Westerlo around the time New York State announced ambitious energy goals for 2040 and offered incentives to renewable energy companies. The town would later enact a moratorium on renewable energy development so that it could revisit its laws and come up with a comprehensive plan.

“Even if [dispensaries] could bring revenue into the town,” Kryzak said, “I think a lot of people are hesitant because it’s new to the state … People are hesitant to jump in with two feet into anything new.”

Currently, Kryzak and the board are working to make the subdivision process easier for families who are breaking up a single property into separate parcels for relatives, something that’s fairly common in the rural Hilltowns.

“In Westerlo, we’ve seen it where three generations of the same family living on an original piece of ground have subdivided it through the years and by the time it gets to the fourth generation … they run into the rules for a major subdivision, which really don’t apply,” Kryzak said. 

He also said that the town will need to review its zoning laws to make sure everything is in the right place and is compatible with the goals of the town and existing laws. 

“There’s local laws from 1977 and 1989,” Kryzak said of the laws the town amends when it makes zoning changes. “Portions of those laws are unclear on what supersedes what, so we’re working through those laws and working up some of the newer zoning laws we need to see applied.”

After that, the town will start getting them codified, Kryzak said. “Basically, they’re sent out, gone through, approved, and sent back in a large binder for ease of use,” he said. “And they’ve been reviewed by people who specialize in town law and made sure that everything is correct and on the up and up for the 21st Century.

“I guess people would say it’s boring stuff,” Kryzak said, “but I think it’s very important to clarify all the local laws and make sure that we’re using the most current [methods] and providing a roadmap for future administrations in the town, making it clear which laws are in effect.”

Kryzak also said he hopes to get the public more involved in town meetings, which can be accomplished either through the use of technology, which Kryzak said would be tricky because it requires money and training, or moving meetings around so that there is more opportunity for in-person gathering. 

“I guess there’s a lot of reasons why I wanted to [run for supervisor] after I start talking about it,” Kryzak said.

“There’s probably a million-and-one reasons why I wanted to do this, and probably a million-and-one reasons why I didn’t,” Kryzak joked, “but [the supervisor position] is something I thought I could step into and be efficient and do a good job.”

Pecylak and Beers

Lorraine Pecylak and Josh Beers are both newcomers to Westerlo politics. 

Beers, who could not be reached for an interview, is a retired corrections officer who owns a landscaping company. According to campaign literature from the Westerlo Republican Party, “Josh’s years of business experience have taught him how to work with others to problem solve, compromise and to achieve the desired goals. His experience also puts him in the unique position of being able to help develop and guide the town board to attract more local business owners.”

Pecylak, 64, is a registered Republican who moved to Westerlo when she was in the fifth grade and raised her family here, calling motherhood her greatest accomplishment. 

She said she became interested in the town board after a friend of hers who had been on the town board asked if she would ever run. “It took me a little while to decide,” she said, “but I figured I have the time now and I’m interested in learning more about what goes on in the town.”

Pecylak, like Kryzak, said she hopes to get more people involved in decision-making processes and town issues while she’s in office. 

“I think a lot of people just lay back and let other people take care of everything,” she said. “I would really love more participation from our residents and I’m hoping to bring that together, somehow, with our new town board … I want to hear what people have to say.”

Holding that note, Pecylak, when asked about her thoughts on renewable energy development in the town, and also dispensaries, in case the board decides to review that matter within the next four years, said that her opinion “isn’t really anything yet,” and that she’d have to hear from the community about their wants and needs. 

She said, though, that she hopes to keep Westerlo small, something that she likes about the town.

“My main focus is just common sense,” she said. “Bringing that in.” 

Elderd v. Mackey

Justice Ken Mackey, a Democrat, is seeking re-election and is challenged by Stuart Elderd, a Republican and former corrections officer. 

Mackey was first elected in 2009. He told The Enterprise in 2017, “I used to think taking away somebody’s freedom would be hard … Now, if it’s warranted, that’s what happens.”

A welder by trade, Mackey, 67, said this week that he has a strong track record over his 12 years as justice of “being fair and impartial.”

He said that being a justice in a small town can occasionally create awkward encounters, but that he doesn’t let that affect his judgment when he’s on the bench.

“Real good friend or not real good friend, you have to treat everybody the same way,” Mackey said. “I’m sure it’s been awkward, but it is what it is. I’m not giving anybody any favors. I do my job the same way for each and every individual that comes before me.”

Mackey said he hopes to do at least one more term, and that, if he’s re-elected, he’ll analyze his health and the strength of his interest at the end of these four years before deciding whether to run again, when he’s 71.

“I always answer the phone and do the arraignments, not just for Westerlo, but for all the towns around here,” Mackey said. “I’ve done arraignments in the middle of the night, and the towns are very pleased with what I do for them. I think I’m doing a pretty decent job, and I want to continue to do it for at least one more term.” 

Mackey’s opponent, Elderd, in addition to being a former corrections officer, is a New York State Army National Guard Veteran Military Policeman who’s lived in Westerlo for over 50 years.

Elderd, 61, said he’s interested in getting more involved with the town and thought that town justice would be a good fit, given his experience.

“This is a good opportunity for me to get to know the community better,” Elderd said. “As far as the person I’m running against, I’ve never been in front of him so I don’t know what he does [that I would do differently]. It’s just something I’m interested in.”

He said that he would treat people “fairly. Be open minded, hear what they have to say. And then I’d go by the law.”