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McKearin challenges Strevell’s mayor seat
Village election is Wednesday
By Jamie Larson
VALATIE — As the Valatie village election enters it’s final push, the village’s two mayoral candidates mount their final offensive to prove to villagers they will do a better job than the other. Incumbent Mayor Gary Strevell (Valatie Experience Party) is defending his seat against Francis McKearin (Truth in Government Party) in what has become an increasingly contentious race.
With the election only days away, both candidates outlined their platforms and addressed the many complicated and sometimes scandalous issues that have surrounded it.
Strevell is seeking his 4th full term as mayor. A computer consultant and Valatie resident since 1985, Strevell first served the village as trustee from 1999 until 2003 when, as deputy mayor, he stepped in to replace then-Mayor Jason Naskie.
Strevell says his record as mayor speaks for itself and that all a citizen has to do is look around the village to view his accomplishments.
He also says his opponent and detractors are trying to distract voters from what the village needs with false issues while not offering solutions of their own. “I haven’t heard [McKearin] have a single plan for how to make this village better,” Strevell said, adding, “there’s a big difference between us.”
McKearin, 38, agrees there is a difference. He says, if elected, what he will do and in what order will depend largely on the state he finds the village in upon arriving to office. His main platform is to bring transparency to village government, which he feels has been lacking under Strevell’s administration. “They do not seek out public involvement,” McKearin said, “at meetings they don’t listen to people. They just roll their eyes and make faces.”
Strevell says he feels politics should stay out of village government and that his opponent’s job with the state Senate Democratic Majority, crafting legislative agenda, will lead him to make decisions based on party allegiance and not what is best for the village.
“If he is elected,” Strevell predicted, “the Pine Haven project will absolutely go through.”
“Huh, I don’t know how he figures that,” McKearin said. “I’m beholden to myself and I’ll do what’s best for the village. Period.”
A resolution was passed by Strevell and the Village Board last month opposing the Columbia County Board of Supervisors’ plan to relocate the Pine Haven Nursing Home from Philmont to a property in both Valatie and Kinderhook. Strevell reasons that since McKearin works for state Democrats he will feel obligated to appease Democratic Kinderhook Town Supervisor Doug McGivney who is in support of the move.
McKearin says the reason he has not yet made a determination on Pine Haven is because a formal plan has not yet been presented, adding that at the moment he does lean toward keeping Pine Haven where it is.
“[It] seems to me [that] where it is is best,” McKearin said. “We don’t have the infrastructure to support it.”
McKearin did say he has a good relationship with McGivney and that he thinks intermunicipality discourse will be a benefit to getting things done in the village.
McKearin moved to Valatie four years. He ran for village trustee in last year’s election and for a spot on the Kinderhook Town Board the year before that. He says Strevell’s continuos accusations that he isn’t active in the community is ridiculous, as he is a board member of OK Kids, is on the town of Kinderhook’s Recreation and Energy committees, is a member of the Elks Lodge and St. John’s Church, and coaches Little League.
Strevell said, unlike his opponent, he does not flaunt his memberships or volunteer work to benefit his campaign.
The short campaign season has been filled with accusations that Strevell, his campaign manager Trustee Paul Raihofer, and village lawyer Patrick Grattan have been operating the government out of the view of the general public, deliberately making information on spending unavailable and manipulating the election itself by encouraging Village Clerk Donna Schneider to not allow now write-in candidate David Williams access to the ballot due to the misprinting of his party name on half his nominating petitions.
Strevell says the allegations are baseless and that he runs an open government. He also says the clerk followed the law to the letter when making ballot decisions, adding that he has never met with Schneider to discuss any aspect of the election.
“I get a little frustrated with the conspiracy theories that people want to invent.” Strevell said. “She’s running [the election] by the books and by the law. We’ve always had these nay-sayers in the village. People with unfounded accusations get more coverage than the truth. That’s not right.”
McKearin has stayed out of the election controversy to a large extent but says while it does look like Schneider followed the law, the continuing drama has lead him to feel that in the future the village elections should be run by the county Board of Elections. “It makes us all look bad,” McKearin said, “it puts people on both sides in a bad situation and people point fingers. I’m not saying Donna Schneider has done anything wrong. But at the same time, it just doesn’t look right.”
Strevell has also come under fire for the mismanagement of $400,000 worth of grant funds allocated for the construction of the Valatie Senior Center. The grant contract states that the facility, which opened in October, could not be used for municipal purposes unless there are reasonable extenuating circumstances. The center was used for village hall meetings and village court a few times and a road sign was erected at the end of Luther Avenue which said “Village Court” and pointed to the Senior Center.
Joseph Rabito, deputy commissioner of the Office of Community Renewal, who issued the grant, said this activity was a clear violation of use and if it had continued the village could have to return the already-spent grant money.
Strevell says the whole problem is a big misunderstanding and that when the village received the grant he was told by OCR, then still under the Republican control of Gov. Pataki, that municipal use was fine. “Employees at the agency who are no longer there told us we could,” Strevell said, adding, “their rules changed and we will comply.”
McKearin said he feels it was “irresponsible” for Strevell to put the village in a position where it might have to pay back $400,000 so he could have a new courthouse. “It’s obvious they never planned to have a Senior Center,” McKearin said. “It’s a prime example of them doing whatever they want to do. They just didn’t get away with it this time.”
Strevell says it was always his intention to have a Senior Center there and will work hard to expand the hours and functions at the site if re-elected. It is now under new management and more volunteers are being sought.
The election will not be held on the usual second Tuesday in March in observance of St. Patrick’s Day.
By Jamie Larson
VALATIE — As the Valatie village election enters it’s final push, the village’s two mayoral candidates mount their final offensive to prove to villagers they will do a better job than the other. Incumbent Mayor Gary Strevell (Valatie Experience Party) is defending his seat against Francis McKearin (Truth in Government Party) in what has become an increasingly contentious race.
With the election only days away, both candidates outlined their platforms and addressed the many complicated and sometimes scandalous issues that have surrounded it.
Strevell is seeking his 4th full term as mayor. A computer consultant and Valatie resident since 1985, Strevell first served the village as trustee from 1999 until 2003 when, as deputy mayor, he stepped in to replace then-Mayor Jason Naskie.
Strevell says his record as mayor speaks for itself and that all a citizen has to do is look around the village to view his accomplishments.
He also says his opponent and detractors are trying to distract voters from what the village needs with false issues while not offering solutions of their own. “I haven’t heard [McKearin] have a single plan for how to make this village better,” Strevell said, adding, “there’s a big difference between us.”
McKearin, 38, agrees there is a difference. He says, if elected, what he will do and in what order will depend largely on the state he finds the village in upon arriving to office. His main platform is to bring transparency to village government, which he feels has been lacking under Strevell’s administration. “They do not seek out public involvement,” McKearin said, “at meetings they don’t listen to people. They just roll their eyes and make faces.”
Strevell says he feels politics should stay out of village government and that his opponent’s job with the state Senate Democratic Majority, crafting legislative agenda, will lead him to make decisions based on party allegiance and not what is best for the village.
“If he is elected,” Strevell predicted, “the Pine Haven project will absolutely go through.”
“Huh, I don’t know how he figures that,” McKearin said. “I’m beholden to myself and I’ll do what’s best for the village. Period.”
A resolution was passed by Strevell and the Village Board last month opposing the Columbia County Board of Supervisors’ plan to relocate the Pine Haven Nursing Home from Philmont to a property in both Valatie and Kinderhook. Strevell reasons that since McKearin works for state Democrats he will feel obligated to appease Democratic Kinderhook Town Supervisor Doug McGivney who is in support of the move.
McKearin says the reason he has not yet made a determination on Pine Haven is because a formal plan has not yet been presented, adding that at the moment he does lean toward keeping Pine Haven where it is.
“[It] seems to me [that] where it is is best,” McKearin said. “We don’t have the infrastructure to support it.”
McKearin did say he has a good relationship with McGivney and that he thinks intermunicipality discourse will be a benefit to getting things done in the village.
McKearin moved to Valatie four years. He ran for village trustee in last year’s election and for a spot on the Kinderhook Town Board the year before that. He says Strevell’s continuos accusations that he isn’t active in the community is ridiculous, as he is a board member of OK Kids, is on the town of Kinderhook’s Recreation and Energy committees, is a member of the Elks Lodge and St. John’s Church, and coaches Little League.
Strevell said, unlike his opponent, he does not flaunt his memberships or volunteer work to benefit his campaign.
The short campaign season has been filled with accusations that Strevell, his campaign manager Trustee Paul Raihofer, and village lawyer Patrick Grattan have been operating the government out of the view of the general public, deliberately making information on spending unavailable and manipulating the election itself by encouraging Village Clerk Donna Schneider to not allow now write-in candidate David Williams access to the ballot due to the misprinting of his party name on half his nominating petitions.
Strevell says the allegations are baseless and that he runs an open government. He also says the clerk followed the law to the letter when making ballot decisions, adding that he has never met with Schneider to discuss any aspect of the election.
“I get a little frustrated with the conspiracy theories that people want to invent.” Strevell said. “She’s running [the election] by the books and by the law. We’ve always had these nay-sayers in the village. People with unfounded accusations get more coverage than the truth. That’s not right.”
McKearin has stayed out of the election controversy to a large extent but says while it does look like Schneider followed the law, the continuing drama has lead him to feel that in the future the village elections should be run by the county Board of Elections. “It makes us all look bad,” McKearin said, “it puts people on both sides in a bad situation and people point fingers. I’m not saying Donna Schneider has done anything wrong. But at the same time, it just doesn’t look right.”
Strevell has also come under fire for the mismanagement of $400,000 worth of grant funds allocated for the construction of the Valatie Senior Center. The grant contract states that the facility, which opened in October, could not be used for municipal purposes unless there are reasonable extenuating circumstances. The center was used for village hall meetings and village court a few times and a road sign was erected at the end of Luther Avenue which said “Village Court” and pointed to the Senior Center.
Joseph Rabito, deputy commissioner of the Office of Community Renewal, who issued the grant, said this activity was a clear violation of use and if it had continued the village could have to return the already-spent grant money.
Strevell says the whole problem is a big misunderstanding and that when the village received the grant he was told by OCR, then still under the Republican control of Gov. Pataki, that municipal use was fine. “Employees at the agency who are no longer there told us we could,” Strevell said, adding, “their rules changed and we will comply.”
McKearin said he feels it was “irresponsible” for Strevell to put the village in a position where it might have to pay back $400,000 so he could have a new courthouse. “It’s obvious they never planned to have a Senior Center,” McKearin said. “It’s a prime example of them doing whatever they want to do. They just didn’t get away with it this time.”
Strevell says it was always his intention to have a Senior Center there and will work hard to expand the hours and functions at the site if re-elected. It is now under new management and more volunteers are being sought.
The election will not be held on the usual second Tuesday in March in observance of St. Patrick’s Day.
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