WESTERLO — The Westerlo government will remain the same for at least the next two years, with all challenged incumbents holding their seats in a high-tension election, according to Albany County’s unofficial voting results. 

Supervisor Matt Kryzak, on the Republican and Conservative lines, was re-elected to a four-year term with 398 votes — or 41 percent of votes — despite challenges from body-shop owner Donald Morin, getting 307 — 32 percent — of votes on the Democratic line, and Angela Carkner getting 261 votes — 27 percent — on the Spend Less Party line. Just one person wrote in a supervisor candidate.

Town board member Amie Burnside, on the Republican and Conservative lines, was re-elected with 457 votes — 26 percent — in a four-way race for two seats, while board member Peter Mahan, on the Democratic and Spend Less Party lines, was re-elected with 489 votes — 28 percent. 

Their challengers were planning board Chairman Beau Loendorf, who got 378 votes — 22 percent — on the Democratic line, and farmer and music teacher William Hall, who got 409 votes — 24 percent — on the Republican line.  

Only three people wrote in a town board candidate.

The remaining open seats were uncontested. Town Clerk Karla Weaver was re-elected on the Democratic, Republican, and Conservative lines with 879 votes, with three people writing in. On the same party lines, highway superintendent Jody Ostrander was re-elected with 897 votes against six write-ins, while his son, Joshua Ostrander, was elected justice with 880 votes against five write-ins. 

Westerlo has 2,425 enrolled voters: 909 are Democrats, 625 are Republicans, 89 are Conservatives, 12 are registered with the Working Families Party, and 5 with the Green Party — meaning 775 are not registered with any party.

The town board candidates had been at odds over a number of issues in the town, including the performance and compensation of town attorney George McHugh, who was ousted Tuesday as Coeymans supervisor in a close race against Democrat Stephen Donnelly.

Other contentious issues included plans to donate town-owned land to the local fire department so it could build a new firehouse behind the town hall, and allegations that some town board members — particularly Burnside and Kryzak — are resistant to resident input, which they denied.

While fielding complaints from his challengers, Kryzak ran on the strength of his accomplishments since he became supervisor in 2021, taking over for Democrat Bill Bichteman when Bichteman resigned in the middle of his term. 

Kryzak saw through several large projects that began while Bichteman was in office, and Kryzak was a board member, such as the town’s revamped comprehensive plan and new renewable energy laws, and the administration of a $1.7 million federal grant for broadband expansion. 

In a campaign interview, Kryzak prided himself on building a strong economic foundation for the town, with a $2.4 million fund balance.

He told The Enterprise on Election Night that he was “pleased” with the results.

“We have a lot of work to do to continue the progress we have made,” he said. “We need our broadband infrastructure expanded, town facilities improved, and a new firehouse. All while continuing to keep taxes low, build[ing] financial strength, and eliminat[ing] debt.”

He said he was “grateful for the opportunity to serve the residents of Westerlo.” 

Morin told The Enterprise last month that he challenged Kryzak for supervisor after several people in the town asked him to run, and hoped to “bring a lot of the spending under control.” He could not immediately be reached for comment on the Election Night results.

Carkner, who owns a restaurant in the city of Albany and a wedding venue in Westerlo, told The Enterprise during her campaign that she wanted to bring greater transparency to the town, replace the town attorney with someone cheaper, and help support local businesses. 

She said on Election Night that she “knew she had an uphill battle” running as a third-party candidate, and that she was “thankful to everyone in the community” who supported her.

Carkner said that her votes were for her, and not mere rewards for being affiliated with one of the major parties. 

“This is my first run and it will not be my last,” she said. “I want Westerlo to have government leaders who represent this community and want to see it grow to its fullest potential. I want leaders who care about educating themselves on open government who stop having meetings behind closed doors and violating [the] Open Meetings Law. 

“I will continue to speak up and play an active role in my government until this is achieved. I want nothing but good things for this community and its residents and I will continue to push for honesty and compliance with open government and State Comptroller rules and regulations.”

She said that residents interested to know more about her perspective on “lack of compliance and real issues happening in Westerlo” could follow her Facebook page, Angela Carkner for Town Supervisor. 

Loendorf, who ran alongside Carkner, hoping also to fix what he sees as a lack of transparency in the town while expanding services for residents, told The Enterprise that he was “so proud” of his platform and the work he’s done as a planning board member and as part of various committees in the town.

“My passion for being part of this community and making this a place to call home for all has not changed,” he said. “I will keep staying involved and fighting for our residents. Congrats to all those who ran and those who won. I look forward to seeing what the future will bring.”

Hall told The Enterprise a week after the elections, “While I had hoped for a win it was a close race and I am proud that I was right in the mix. The campaign allowed me to meet with many people in the community and talk about the issues that are important. I ran a campaign that aligned with my values and focused on what I could do for the community. It’s a strong foundation to build on, and I will continue to work to serve the Town of Westerlo.”

Burnside, who, like Kryzak, sought re-election to continue the work she had been doing, told The Enterprise that she was “relieved” to be done with a “very close race.”

“And now it’s time to get back to work without the distraction of the election,” she said.