BERNE — Frank Brady, a former union vice president for the Civil Service Employees Association, said he is running for town council because he’d like to change the way things are done in Berne’s government.

A Democrat, he is running on the Republican slate.

Originally from Cohoes, Brady has lived in Berne for the past 38 years. He moved to town shortly after marrying his wife, Joanne, who is a lifelong resident of Berne and is running for tax collector this year. Brady said he also made the move because he wanted to live in the country, after growing up in the city.

Now retired, Brady worked for the state’s Department of Tax and Finance for 41 years. During that time, he served as a CSEA union representative for 25 years before running to be a union delegate, and then a vice president.

Brady said he decided to run for the Berne board because he felt the people of the town should be able to make decisions on important matters, not just the town board.

“I don’t like the way things are going on … ,” he said. “I’m not a rubber stamp for anyone.”

He said his experience as a union representative and an elected official in the CSEA has given him experience dealing with people, something he can bring to the town board.

“When they come to you for help, you’ve got to sit there and listen … ,” he said. “It’s a different ball game from being a union vice president to running for town politics but it’s the same concept: You’re just listening to people.”

He said he is running with the Republican slate, because he had been asked by the town’s GOP chairman, highway superintendent Randy Bashwinger, after not being offered a position with the town Democrats when he had asked to be considered. He said he has no qualms about running on the Republican line.

“To me, it’s not about the politics,” he said.

Brady said that he is against consolidating the highway department with the Albany County Department of Public Works. He believes some shared services could be beneficial, but is concerned that that the county won’t meet town needs if consolidation takes place.

Regarding sharing a garage, Brady said he would first have to hear input from town workers on what they need.

“I’m a firm believer of communication with the workers to find out what their needs are,” he said.

Brady said that he had read the town’s contract with highway workers, and said it stated that the town garage has autonomy, so that the highway superintendent can implement a four-day, 10-hour work week. He added that the use of the biometric time clock and paper time sheet seems redundant, and that cameras should not be on during the day when the workers are there.

Brady concluded that, because the highway superintendent is an elected official, he should have jurisdiction over his department.

Regarding handling solid waste in the town, Brady said the town will need to conduct more recycling in order to stop filling the landfill, but added that he doesn’t know what the solution will be. He noted that increased tipping fees may be absorbed by the town, or taxes will have to be raised.

“The way I look at things, you can’t keep tax rates down, or minus, and run a town,” he said. “Eventually, you’re going to run out of money.”

Regarding insurance, Brady said that he would “absolutely” allow insurance benefits to unmarried dependents.

“You have to meet a criteria, a pretty tough criteria, to get coverage for your domestic partner,” he said, recalling the coverage offered through the state and its requirements. “And I think it should be offered to anybody that works for the town.”

He later added that anyone who wanted to obtain such coverage would have to meet those requirements.

Brady said that, eventually, if taxes are being decreased, the town may have to go above the tax cap if it runs short on funds.

“I’d rather see it go up a few percent a year than go up all at once,” he said.

Brady said he would vote to go above the tax cap if it is necessary to do so, and that it should be made clear why taxes have to raised. He later added that he does not think the tax levy will ever go over the state limit, but, if it did, the hike would have to be justified.

Regarding business and agriculture in Berne, Brady said it may be hard to bring in development, in part because of Berne’s geography, and town support would depend on what is being brought in.

He said that he is not sure if “mom-and-pop shops” could make it in Berne, but said that it would benefit Berne to have businesses in town bringing in revenue.

He concluded that he is running because he feels people should have a voice and be voting on big decisions in Berne.