The homeowner said that her son put up the flag to honor history, while a letter writer decried the flag as standing for racism and an army that fought for slavery and against the United States.
Though the town’s preliminary budget includes a tax cut for residents, increased costs are looming in Berne’s future that may mean consolidating departments to save, says the supervisor.
In Rensselaerville, the town board repeated the tradition of holding a hearing on whether to enact a local law to go above the state-set tax-levy limit. But Supervisor Valerie Lounsbury said that this is likely unnecessary, as the preliminary budget, with a 1.73-percent tax-levy increase, is set to stay below the cap.
In the town of Berne, a heavily contested election has brought forth a variety of issues, as a full slate of both Republican- and Democratic-backed candidates run for office.
BERNE — Gerald O’Malley has been serving as Berne’s tax collector for 28 years, and emphasizes his experience as he campaigns for re-election. A Democrat, he is running on the Democratic and Conservative party lines.
BERNE — Mary Alice Molgard has studied and taught communications and communications law for years. She now wants to pursue her interests in the legal system further by becoming a town justice in Berne.
BERNE — Alan Zuk is running to keeps his seat as town justice. After serving as judge for two separate four-year terms, as well as town supervisor and in the school district, he said he had established trust in and knowledge of the people of Berne.
A Democrat, he is running on the Democratic and Conservative lines.
