To the Editor:

Last week Deane Fish, the recently elected Republican Committee chairman of the town of New Scotland, wrote a letter to the editor arguing that Craig Shufelt should be appointed to the upcoming vacancy on the town board. Though I know Mr. Fish to be a good, well-intentioned person, I disagree strongly with the points that he tried to make.

For one, Mr. Fish seems to think that losing a close election qualifies a candidate for a town board seat. I do not. I myself lost two close elections, one by 22 votes and the other by 35, and never did I think I deserved a seat.

Instead, it motivated me to work harder and to better familiarize myself on our town issues. Though not on the board, I regularly attended town board meetings and served the town in other ways. I believe Mr. Shufelt’s next board meeting will be his first, as will his participation in any aspect of our town government. 

Mr. Fish also suggested that the 1,168 people who voted for Mr. Shufelt will somehow not be represented at Town Hall. I work hard to represent all the citizens of the town of New Scotland and constantly attend community events and town functions in order to hear different views.

My office door is open to all town residents, and I promise I will always put what’s best for the town above any political considerations. I know Ms. [Patricia] Snyder, Mr. [William] Hennessy, and Mr. [Adam] Greenberg feel the same way.

Mr. Fish also alluded to a disingenuous point that was made during the campaign: that this is some kind of one-party rule. Mr. Fish of all people knows this to not be true.

Though a Republican committeeman, he was appointed unanimously to serve on the town's ethics board. Moreover, I am a registered Independent, our zoning-board chairman is a registered Republican, our planning-board chairman is a registered Conservative, and our ethics board chairman is unaffiliated with any party. I doubt there is another local town with this kind of party diversity.

In summary, the New Scotland Town Board will consider all interested parties for the seat I will soon be vacating. We will look for someone who has demonstrated interest through his or her actions, participation in boards or committees, and has expressed a compelling vision for the town.

If the Republican Committee disagrees with our eventual selection, there is an easy remedy: Defeat him or her in the 2016 election, next fall.

Douglas LaGrange 

New Scotland