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Dias wants to further projects
By Francesca Olsen
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
Tom Dias, a 20-year resident of Columbia County and the current Ancram town supervisor, is finishing up his first term and seeks a second because “there are some things I’d like to see a little bit further along, for sure.”
Dias, retired with 29 years logged at IBM in management and engineering, has also received endorsements from the Conservative, Independence, and Ancram First parties. He was the Ancram town magistrate from 1994 to 2007, and has been an active member of the Ancram Volunteer Fire company, No 1 Inc., since 1991; he is a past lieutenant and current trustee of the fire company.
Dias is a current board member of the New York State Magistrate’s Association and served as president in 2006.
Above all, Dias says he wants open government for the people of Ancram, who have become increasingly involved with politics since the walk-out of three town board members last year.
“There never was much involvement by the townspeople in local government,” Dias said. “I’ve realized, the more people that are involved in government, the better off it is.”
Dias told the Register-Star that he has started several committees in Ancram during his tenure, and during this year’s preliminary budget process, worked hard to educate and involve the Ancram town board on the details of budget making.
Dias said the top three issues facing Ancram, in his opinion, were fiscal prudence, upgrades to the town highway garage and equipment, and keeping government open. He said that if re-elected, he plans to continue a conservative approach toward the town’s finances (the preliminary tax rate increase for Ancram’s 2010 budget stands at 2.13 percent), bring a referendum before residents to vote on an upgraded highway facility as well as a long term plan to upgrade the town’s highway equipment, and continue to call for increased participation in local government.
The issue of assessments and the validity of Ancram’s assessment roll has long been a hot issue in the small town, but Dias said he approaches the topic with fiscal concern over anything else. It costs close to $120,000 for a new revaluation, he said.
Multiple residents have either grieved their assessments at the county level or approached the town assessor with questions and issues. “it is an issue, most definitely, and it certainly raises questions,” Dias said.
With around $300,000 in Ancram’s general fund, “I don’t want to overextend,” on a re-val, Dias said. “Being a fiscal conservative, I’m really sensitive to that.”
As a member of the board of supervisors, Dias currently serves on several committees, including the Pine Haven committee and subcommittee. “For the first few months, I was focusing on the dollar aspects,” he said, of helping narrow down an option for a new or renovated Pine Haven facility. However, after hearing comments from many residents who supported keeping the facility in Philmont, and learned about the terms and conditions of a proposed leasing agreement for a facility in the Kinderhook/Valatie area, he began to look at the issue in a different way.
In reference to the county’s purchase of the Ockawamick School, Dias said the presentation pointed the old school building out as the only viable option for additional space. “I was presented that the only thing they could find was Ockawamick,” he said.
On the topic of the county’s current bid for the One City Centre building in Hudson, Dias has maintained the position that the county should not become a landlord. “I think I’m on the outs a little bit,” he said.
One City Centre has several businesses in it with leases that have yet to expire. “I don’t think a county should be a landlord. We should be a building owner, but we shouldn’t be a landlord,” he said.
On the lack of a central point for transitional and emergency homeless housing, Dias said he didn’t see the county’s proposal to use the St. Charles Hotel as a particularly bad idea.
“All the motels in the county are full. We’re using motels in Greene County, and we’re actually using motels in Massachusetts,” he said, citing “atrocious” conditions and unsafe living areas for children. A former chair at Columbia Opportunities, Dias said the concentration and location of the St. Charles would have helped “control who’s around these families,” decreasing a risk from potential predators.
Dias, retired with 29 years logged at IBM in management and engineering, has also received endorsements from the Conservative, Independence, and Ancram First parties. He was the Ancram town magistrate from 1994 to 2007, and has been an active member of the Ancram Volunteer Fire company, No 1 Inc., since 1991; he is a past lieutenant and current trustee of the fire company.
Dias is a current board member of the New York State Magistrate’s Association and served as president in 2006.
Above all, Dias says he wants open government for the people of Ancram, who have become increasingly involved with politics since the walk-out of three town board members last year.
“There never was much involvement by the townspeople in local government,” Dias said. “I’ve realized, the more people that are involved in government, the better off it is.”
Dias told the Register-Star that he has started several committees in Ancram during his tenure, and during this year’s preliminary budget process, worked hard to educate and involve the Ancram town board on the details of budget making.
Dias said the top three issues facing Ancram, in his opinion, were fiscal prudence, upgrades to the town highway garage and equipment, and keeping government open. He said that if re-elected, he plans to continue a conservative approach toward the town’s finances (the preliminary tax rate increase for Ancram’s 2010 budget stands at 2.13 percent), bring a referendum before residents to vote on an upgraded highway facility as well as a long term plan to upgrade the town’s highway equipment, and continue to call for increased participation in local government.
The issue of assessments and the validity of Ancram’s assessment roll has long been a hot issue in the small town, but Dias said he approaches the topic with fiscal concern over anything else. It costs close to $120,000 for a new revaluation, he said.
Multiple residents have either grieved their assessments at the county level or approached the town assessor with questions and issues. “it is an issue, most definitely, and it certainly raises questions,” Dias said.
With around $300,000 in Ancram’s general fund, “I don’t want to overextend,” on a re-val, Dias said. “Being a fiscal conservative, I’m really sensitive to that.”
As a member of the board of supervisors, Dias currently serves on several committees, including the Pine Haven committee and subcommittee. “For the first few months, I was focusing on the dollar aspects,” he said, of helping narrow down an option for a new or renovated Pine Haven facility. However, after hearing comments from many residents who supported keeping the facility in Philmont, and learned about the terms and conditions of a proposed leasing agreement for a facility in the Kinderhook/Valatie area, he began to look at the issue in a different way.
In reference to the county’s purchase of the Ockawamick School, Dias said the presentation pointed the old school building out as the only viable option for additional space. “I was presented that the only thing they could find was Ockawamick,” he said.
On the topic of the county’s current bid for the One City Centre building in Hudson, Dias has maintained the position that the county should not become a landlord. “I think I’m on the outs a little bit,” he said.
One City Centre has several businesses in it with leases that have yet to expire. “I don’t think a county should be a landlord. We should be a building owner, but we shouldn’t be a landlord,” he said.
On the lack of a central point for transitional and emergency homeless housing, Dias said he didn’t see the county’s proposal to use the St. Charles Hotel as a particularly bad idea.
“All the motels in the county are full. We’re using motels in Greene County, and we’re actually using motels in Massachusetts,” he said, citing “atrocious” conditions and unsafe living areas for children. A former chair at Columbia Opportunities, Dias said the concentration and location of the St. Charles would have helped “control who’s around these families,” decreasing a risk from potential predators.
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