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Who’ll get the big chair?
By Hallie Goodman
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
HUDSON — On Monday night at 6 p.m., the Hudson City Common Council will hold a special meeting to vote in a new Common Council President. The position became vacant when former Common Council President Robert Perry Jr. left to become Superintendent of Public Works. The charter states that if the council does not vote anyone in within 20 days, the mayor will appoint someone to the position.
Though many names have been quietly mentioned since Perry vacated, only three seem to remain as viable candidates. The council has yet to rally around a single individual, but since a new president can be voted in by simple majority, a stand off is unlikely.
Each candidate spoke with the Register-Star and explained why they were interested in the position, and why they thought they’d be a good choice.
Victor Mendolia, Chair of the Hudson City Democratic Committee, said he is interested in helping bring about compromise within the council.
“I have put myself forward mainly because I see the need for a consensus builder,” he said. “I have good working relationship with most people on the council and feel I would do a good job. On the other hand I’m not lobbying or pushing. I want them to make the best decision they can make. Whoever they decide on I’ll be fine with.”
Mendolia said that he had been quietly working behind the scenes to create a resolution for “the Washington Hose situation.”
“I’ve tried to break the log jam,” he said. “I have attempted to broker a compromise.”
According to Mendolia the position calls for someone who can “engender trust, so that, perhaps we could get somewhere.”
“I speak my mind and I try to speak the truth,” he said. “I don’t give people different stories. I try to be as truthful as possible and I have no problem amending that truth as things change.
“I have only put myself forward because it seemed that there was no agreement [on a single candidate],” Mendolia. “Look, if you think that I would do the best job in that position, then I will be available, and I will certainly give my all to reaching a consensus.”
In regard to possible support, Medolia said, “I really don’t know where people stand on it. I’m not trying to lobby people. Because I have a role as leader of the Democratic Party, I don’t want people to feel pushed. I only want what’s best for council and city. There’s a problem, if I could be a solution, or part of the solution, then great. If I add to the problem or if it gets more divisive I will gladly take my hat out of the ring.”
Sarah Sterling is an artist and Realtor, and a member of the Democratic Party who has previous council experience. Sterling was a 1st Ward alderman from 2006 to 2007, and became Majority Leader when the Quintin Cross credit card scandal broke.
“When Quintin Cross had all of his problems, I became Majority Leader, and also served on various boards,” Sterling said. “Well, Quentin had taken money from those boards, so there was an enormous amount of clean up to do.”
Sterling called it “a crash course” and said she got “quite an education,” as she scrambled to learn the ins and outs of the charter.
“There was a huge learning curve. There were real problems. I learned a lot which now stands me in good stead because I have micro-read every line of that charter. I enjoy all the people and I enjoy creating solutions and working for the betterment of the people of Hudson,” she said. “I feel that I did a good job and could do so again.”
Sterling ran for Common Council President and lost to Perry. “You can’t also run as alderman, so it’s kind of all or nothing,
“About a month ago I started getting queries as to whether I would be interested, and I said yes.”
When asked to comment on the current climate of the council, Sterling said, “The last two meetings have been really off-the-wall contentious, but other than that I feel Rob was a great Common Council President. He kept the tone light and kept everyone together. One of the great thing about Hudson is the great diversity, we are not all going to agree all the time.”
Sterling described herself as “fairly neutral,” adding, “I can do a good job of making sure everyone gets heard.
“These contentious issues arise and the question is whether you can head them off before they get to the council,” she said.
Sterling explained that when she was on the council she was having extra meetings nearly every night in order to try to solve the pressing issues of the city.
“I have a lot of legal experience and I understand the whole ethical question, you have to read the code and charter over and over again. I think I have a good relationship with everybody,” she said. “I will call (Robert Donahue) up and ask how he’s going to vote and he will tell me. I feel it’s important to have open communication with everyone, the mayor too. He and I have not had a major argument,” she said, referring to Rick Scalera.
“I come with a lot of information, I feel I have the most experience,” Sterling said. “I was on all the HDCPA and the IDA and HDC. We reviewed all of those documents. I served on all those boards as Majority Leader. I also worked with Jack Connor when the Historic Preservation Commission was formed. I was also on the Waterfront Committee for awhile. It was an exciting time to be in Hudson because everyone was fighting the cement plant.
“Hudson is a place where people really care, they care about the environment,” she said. “They care about what’s going to happen to water front, and they care about their taxes.
“I feel the common council is legislative body, and its really here to look at the charter and enact legislation. Although vision has its place, it’s not really the function of the council to reinvent the wheel.”
She joked that she wanted to “reinvent” parking.
John Cody, who is not registered as a member of any political party, was very politically involved in years past, but more recently, has chosen to stay out of the spotlight.
“I was on the Waterfront Planning Committee for very longtime,” he said. “When the new administration came in (Richard Tracy) appointed a whole new board. I decided it was time for me to let things progress, and take in the view from the bleachers.”
As to what changed his mind, Cody said, “Rick (Scalera) asked, and I thought that maybe the time was right to jump in.”
Cody ran for 1st Ward Supervisor last year and lost to John Musall.
“I care deeply about Hudson,” Cody said. “If there are places where I can make a difference, I’d like to make a difference.”
When asked if he thinks he’d be able to unite the council, he said, “you always hope that that can happen. I’ve been involved in contentious issues before. I was the head of a group that (successfully) fought against an oil refinery on the waterfront. Until a few years ago I was heavily involved with the waterfront planning and that got a little dicey.”
Cody has some prior experience working with various members of the council.
“I’ve been on board of Historic Hudson. I’ve been involved with a board at Olana,” he said. “I know a number of them and have a pretty decent relationship with them. I would hope they would feel the same.”
When it comes to the ins and outs of the often complicated Hudson City Charter, Cody considers himself reasonably familiar.
“I usually have a copy of the City Charter that I’ve downloaded,” he said. “If an issue comes up where I’m curious, I take it out and look it up.”
Cody says he does not have a feel for how much support he might have within the council, having only just put his name forward.
“As far as swaying somebody, my feeling is that you cant do that superficially.”
Dan Region, a local actor and writer, has also been mentioned as a possible contender, though no one who spoke to the Register-Star could confirm if Region would officially put his name forward. A call to Region’s home went unreturned.
Alderman Wanda Pertilla, D-2nd Ward, will run Monday’s meeting.
“I would like to give each one of them a couple of minutes to express why they should be Common Council President,” she said, adding that she will talk to Legal Council John Connors beforehand to determine whether or not that would be in keeping with the appropriate process.
“It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t come together and come up with one strong person,” Pertilla said. “We’ve got too much to do this year to keep carrying on the way we have in the past. We need to move on in a compromising way. We just need to get back to business, the business of the city. We’ve had enough personal agendas over the past few months. I wouldn’t want this to be our legacy.”
HUDSON — On Monday night at 6 p.m., the Hudson City Common Council will hold a special meeting to vote in a new Common Council President. The position became vacant when former Common Council President Robert Perry Jr. left to become Superintendent of Public Works. The charter states that if the council does not vote anyone in within 20 days, the mayor will appoint someone to the position.
Though many names have been quietly mentioned since Perry vacated, only three seem to remain as viable candidates. The council has yet to rally around a single individual, but since a new president can be voted in by simple majority, a stand off is unlikely.
Each candidate spoke with the Register-Star and explained why they were interested in the position, and why they thought they’d be a good choice.
Victor Mendolia, Chair of the Hudson City Democratic Committee, said he is interested in helping bring about compromise within the council.
“I have put myself forward mainly because I see the need for a consensus builder,” he said. “I have good working relationship with most people on the council and feel I would do a good job. On the other hand I’m not lobbying or pushing. I want them to make the best decision they can make. Whoever they decide on I’ll be fine with.”
Mendolia said that he had been quietly working behind the scenes to create a resolution for “the Washington Hose situation.”
“I’ve tried to break the log jam,” he said. “I have attempted to broker a compromise.”
According to Mendolia the position calls for someone who can “engender trust, so that, perhaps we could get somewhere.”
“I speak my mind and I try to speak the truth,” he said. “I don’t give people different stories. I try to be as truthful as possible and I have no problem amending that truth as things change.
“I have only put myself forward because it seemed that there was no agreement [on a single candidate],” Mendolia. “Look, if you think that I would do the best job in that position, then I will be available, and I will certainly give my all to reaching a consensus.”
In regard to possible support, Medolia said, “I really don’t know where people stand on it. I’m not trying to lobby people. Because I have a role as leader of the Democratic Party, I don’t want people to feel pushed. I only want what’s best for council and city. There’s a problem, if I could be a solution, or part of the solution, then great. If I add to the problem or if it gets more divisive I will gladly take my hat out of the ring.”
Sarah Sterling is an artist and Realtor, and a member of the Democratic Party who has previous council experience. Sterling was a 1st Ward alderman from 2006 to 2007, and became Majority Leader when the Quintin Cross credit card scandal broke.
“When Quintin Cross had all of his problems, I became Majority Leader, and also served on various boards,” Sterling said. “Well, Quentin had taken money from those boards, so there was an enormous amount of clean up to do.”
Sterling called it “a crash course” and said she got “quite an education,” as she scrambled to learn the ins and outs of the charter.
“There was a huge learning curve. There were real problems. I learned a lot which now stands me in good stead because I have micro-read every line of that charter. I enjoy all the people and I enjoy creating solutions and working for the betterment of the people of Hudson,” she said. “I feel that I did a good job and could do so again.”
Sterling ran for Common Council President and lost to Perry. “You can’t also run as alderman, so it’s kind of all or nothing,
“About a month ago I started getting queries as to whether I would be interested, and I said yes.”
When asked to comment on the current climate of the council, Sterling said, “The last two meetings have been really off-the-wall contentious, but other than that I feel Rob was a great Common Council President. He kept the tone light and kept everyone together. One of the great thing about Hudson is the great diversity, we are not all going to agree all the time.”
Sterling described herself as “fairly neutral,” adding, “I can do a good job of making sure everyone gets heard.
“These contentious issues arise and the question is whether you can head them off before they get to the council,” she said.
Sterling explained that when she was on the council she was having extra meetings nearly every night in order to try to solve the pressing issues of the city.
“I have a lot of legal experience and I understand the whole ethical question, you have to read the code and charter over and over again. I think I have a good relationship with everybody,” she said. “I will call (Robert Donahue) up and ask how he’s going to vote and he will tell me. I feel it’s important to have open communication with everyone, the mayor too. He and I have not had a major argument,” she said, referring to Rick Scalera.
“I come with a lot of information, I feel I have the most experience,” Sterling said. “I was on all the HDCPA and the IDA and HDC. We reviewed all of those documents. I served on all those boards as Majority Leader. I also worked with Jack Connor when the Historic Preservation Commission was formed. I was also on the Waterfront Committee for awhile. It was an exciting time to be in Hudson because everyone was fighting the cement plant.
“Hudson is a place where people really care, they care about the environment,” she said. “They care about what’s going to happen to water front, and they care about their taxes.
“I feel the common council is legislative body, and its really here to look at the charter and enact legislation. Although vision has its place, it’s not really the function of the council to reinvent the wheel.”
She joked that she wanted to “reinvent” parking.
John Cody, who is not registered as a member of any political party, was very politically involved in years past, but more recently, has chosen to stay out of the spotlight.
“I was on the Waterfront Planning Committee for very longtime,” he said. “When the new administration came in (Richard Tracy) appointed a whole new board. I decided it was time for me to let things progress, and take in the view from the bleachers.”
As to what changed his mind, Cody said, “Rick (Scalera) asked, and I thought that maybe the time was right to jump in.”
Cody ran for 1st Ward Supervisor last year and lost to John Musall.
“I care deeply about Hudson,” Cody said. “If there are places where I can make a difference, I’d like to make a difference.”
When asked if he thinks he’d be able to unite the council, he said, “you always hope that that can happen. I’ve been involved in contentious issues before. I was the head of a group that (successfully) fought against an oil refinery on the waterfront. Until a few years ago I was heavily involved with the waterfront planning and that got a little dicey.”
Cody has some prior experience working with various members of the council.
“I’ve been on board of Historic Hudson. I’ve been involved with a board at Olana,” he said. “I know a number of them and have a pretty decent relationship with them. I would hope they would feel the same.”
When it comes to the ins and outs of the often complicated Hudson City Charter, Cody considers himself reasonably familiar.
“I usually have a copy of the City Charter that I’ve downloaded,” he said. “If an issue comes up where I’m curious, I take it out and look it up.”
Cody says he does not have a feel for how much support he might have within the council, having only just put his name forward.
“As far as swaying somebody, my feeling is that you cant do that superficially.”
Dan Region, a local actor and writer, has also been mentioned as a possible contender, though no one who spoke to the Register-Star could confirm if Region would officially put his name forward. A call to Region’s home went unreturned.
Alderman Wanda Pertilla, D-2nd Ward, will run Monday’s meeting.
“I would like to give each one of them a couple of minutes to express why they should be Common Council President,” she said, adding that she will talk to Legal Council John Connors beforehand to determine whether or not that would be in keeping with the appropriate process.
“It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t come together and come up with one strong person,” Pertilla said. “We’ve got too much to do this year to keep carrying on the way we have in the past. We need to move on in a compromising way. We just need to get back to business, the business of the city. We’ve had enough personal agendas over the past few months. I wouldn’t want this to be our legacy.”
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