To the Editor:

Election Day is next Tuesday, Nov. 7, and the most important races on the ballot are the local ones, the ones where people you see and know are running for the offices that most directly affect the communities we live in.

Guilderland in 2017 has contested races for town supervisor and two seats on the town board. There is a lot of interest these days in “throwing out the incumbents,” irrespective of their party affiliation, based on the theory that “government needs to be shaken up.” It’s a concept that sounds appealing, but the reality, as is so often the case, doesn’t always match the hype.

Town Supervisor Peter Barber and board members Pat Slavick and Paul Pastore have all participated in meaningful advances in town government over the past couple of years that have maintained and built upon the outstanding quality of life in Guilderland.

They have helped to grow town infrastructure, enhance the park and open-space facilities, promote growth that is in line with our comprehensive plan and that enhances our tax base, and have firmly addressed emerging issues such as abandoned properties in the town.

This progress has been achieved in a thoughtful and professional manner, free of the circus atmosphere and dark ethical clouds that swirl around national politics. The universal appeal of the current administration’s policies and practices is borne out by virtue of the fact that the Republican member of the town board has voted against the majority only twice in the past two years.

Because I believe in progress, in good government, and in Guilderland, I will be voting for Peter Barber, Patricia Slavick, and Paul Pastore on Nov. 7. I hope that my fellow Guilderland residents will join me.

Donald Csaposs

Guilderland

Editor’s note: Donald Csaposs works as a grant writer for the town of Guilderland.