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Candidates discuss budgets, home assessments at forum
By Paul Crossman
Candidates running for two open Kinderhook Town Board seats, town supervisor, highway superintendent and town justice met Tuesday at the Ichabod Crane Middle School to discuss some of the most pertinent issues of the town, and answer questions from the community.
The candidates running for office are incumbent Supervisor Doug McGivney and challenger Pat Grattan for supervisor; Patsy Leader, Helen Schneider, Todd DiGrigoli and Glenn Smith for Town Board; John Ruchel for highway superintendent; and Natalie Kolb and Lisa Mills for town justice.
Smith and Kolb could not attend the forum for personal reasons.
Running for town justice, Mills did not participate in the questions, but told the crowd that she is an attorney who graduated from Albany Law School in 1988 and has been practicing law in Columbia County ever since. She also said that she is the Law Guardian Liaison for the county, as well as a member of the committee on professional standards, which is responsible for disciplining attorneys.
More than 50 residents of the town turned out to ask questions on everything from budget cuts and taxes to community beautification and agriculture.
The first question of the night asked what previous experience the candidates had which might help them manage the town budget.
Todd DiGrigoli responded first by saying he has been the food service manager of ICC for 15 years now, and each year has been responsible for the $700,000 food service budget. He said that although he knows this is a relatively small budget compared to the town, it has given him experience which he feels will help him make good decisions for the town.
Schneider, a current member of the Valatie Village Board, has worked on the village budget previously, and says that she knows how to make tough cuts when necessary. She also said that raising a family has given her a great deal of experience in the area of budgeting.
“When money gets tight,” she told the crowd, “you have to give up luxuries.”
Grattan told the crowd that he had served on the Town Board for four years, as deputy supervisor for three years, and Valatie village mayor for four years. He was also the chairman of the village Planning Board in 1991 when it created a highway service merger which cut $8.31 per $1,000 from the tax rate that year.
McGivney said that his experience stems from being supervisor for the town for 10 years — a job at which he says he can work full time, since he is retired — and that even though this is the toughest time he has seen in his many years, he is prepared to deal with it and make cuts if necessary.
Leader, a longtime member of the community, said that her budgeting experience has come in the form of running a small business, where she has always paid the bills, and doesn’t do foolish spending.
One of the biggest money saving techniques that has been discussed among local towns and villages lately has been the consolidation of services, and one resident raised the question of whether this might be possible with the town and the villages within it, with specific emphasis on the court structure.
McGivney said that while court consolidation has been considered, he’s not at the point right now where he thinks it would be in the best interests of the town, though he does wish to see shared services in other areas. He also said that he would be for a shared location for all the courts, and that the senior center at Volunteer’s Park might serve the purpose nicely.
Leader agreed that the courts seem to be working well the way they are, and she doesn’t see consolidation happening soon, although she does feel that it should be looked into to see if it’s a financial possibility.
DiGrigoli said that it was good to look at any chances for cost savings, but that villages need to have and maintain their own identities.
Schneider also agreed that there were a lot of services which need to be consolidated, but she’s not sure the courts are one of them. She said it might be good to have a building where all the courts could be held, as both Valatie and the village of Kinderhook’s courtrooms get quite crowded.
Grattan took a slightly different approach to the issue, saying that he would only consolidate services after talking to the judges of the individual courts, and the people of the town. “If they’re not interested,” he said, “then I’m not interested.”
Another big issue both in the town and the entire county has been home assessment rates, and the question was asked why these rates seem to go up every year, and whether each candidate agrees with the policy.
DiGrigoli said there are many factors which contribute to the assessment process, and it is generally based on the guidelines of sold houses in the area.
Schneider made the point that not everyone’s assessment rate does go up, as hers has stayed the same for the last three years. When they do go up though, she says it’s because people have been buying homes in the area for more money.
“If you live in a desirable community,” she said, “Your assessment is going to go up.”
McGivney seconded the idea that assessment is primarily based on location, saying that the assessment process is based on statistical analysis to get fair market value, and that it is not something the town merely guesses on.
Grattan stated that it’s important to remember that assessments should be fair, and that it would be wrong to use the perfect home with the best of everything as a standard for the process.
The question of what the candidates planned to do about outdoor wood boilers also arose, and the candidates generally agreed that regulation of some type was necessary, but that there were now extremely efficient wood burners, and that it would be best to make sure people were using the boilers they already had in the most correct and economically friendly fashion.
Leader also added that she was against the banning of the boilers, as a town or village should not tell people how to heat their homes.
One of the more controversial questions put to the group was what corporations have contributed to each person or parties campaigns for this election.
McGivney said that the Democratic Party had not received any campaign contributions from corporations, but that he knew for a fact that the republicans had received donations from both Barnwell nursing home, and Abacus, a corporation owned by the same man who is proposing the current 84-lot subdivision in Valatie.
Grattan said that every donation is listed on the New York state Board of Elections Web site, and he was aware that the Republican Committee had received a donation from Barnwell, but that they were a local business in the community who paid taxes, and had as much of an interest in the elected officials as anyone else. He also said that using the term “corporation” when talking about businesses like Barnwell simply wasn’t fair.
A full recording of the forum can be found at WGXC.org.
To reach reporter Paul Crossman call 518-828-1616, ext. 2266, or e-mail pcrossman@registerstar.com.
The candidates running for office are incumbent Supervisor Doug McGivney and challenger Pat Grattan for supervisor; Patsy Leader, Helen Schneider, Todd DiGrigoli and Glenn Smith for Town Board; John Ruchel for highway superintendent; and Natalie Kolb and Lisa Mills for town justice.
Smith and Kolb could not attend the forum for personal reasons.
Running for town justice, Mills did not participate in the questions, but told the crowd that she is an attorney who graduated from Albany Law School in 1988 and has been practicing law in Columbia County ever since. She also said that she is the Law Guardian Liaison for the county, as well as a member of the committee on professional standards, which is responsible for disciplining attorneys.
More than 50 residents of the town turned out to ask questions on everything from budget cuts and taxes to community beautification and agriculture.
The first question of the night asked what previous experience the candidates had which might help them manage the town budget.
Todd DiGrigoli responded first by saying he has been the food service manager of ICC for 15 years now, and each year has been responsible for the $700,000 food service budget. He said that although he knows this is a relatively small budget compared to the town, it has given him experience which he feels will help him make good decisions for the town.
Schneider, a current member of the Valatie Village Board, has worked on the village budget previously, and says that she knows how to make tough cuts when necessary. She also said that raising a family has given her a great deal of experience in the area of budgeting.
“When money gets tight,” she told the crowd, “you have to give up luxuries.”
Grattan told the crowd that he had served on the Town Board for four years, as deputy supervisor for three years, and Valatie village mayor for four years. He was also the chairman of the village Planning Board in 1991 when it created a highway service merger which cut $8.31 per $1,000 from the tax rate that year.
McGivney said that his experience stems from being supervisor for the town for 10 years — a job at which he says he can work full time, since he is retired — and that even though this is the toughest time he has seen in his many years, he is prepared to deal with it and make cuts if necessary.
Leader, a longtime member of the community, said that her budgeting experience has come in the form of running a small business, where she has always paid the bills, and doesn’t do foolish spending.
One of the biggest money saving techniques that has been discussed among local towns and villages lately has been the consolidation of services, and one resident raised the question of whether this might be possible with the town and the villages within it, with specific emphasis on the court structure.
McGivney said that while court consolidation has been considered, he’s not at the point right now where he thinks it would be in the best interests of the town, though he does wish to see shared services in other areas. He also said that he would be for a shared location for all the courts, and that the senior center at Volunteer’s Park might serve the purpose nicely.
Leader agreed that the courts seem to be working well the way they are, and she doesn’t see consolidation happening soon, although she does feel that it should be looked into to see if it’s a financial possibility.
DiGrigoli said that it was good to look at any chances for cost savings, but that villages need to have and maintain their own identities.
Schneider also agreed that there were a lot of services which need to be consolidated, but she’s not sure the courts are one of them. She said it might be good to have a building where all the courts could be held, as both Valatie and the village of Kinderhook’s courtrooms get quite crowded.
Grattan took a slightly different approach to the issue, saying that he would only consolidate services after talking to the judges of the individual courts, and the people of the town. “If they’re not interested,” he said, “then I’m not interested.”
Another big issue both in the town and the entire county has been home assessment rates, and the question was asked why these rates seem to go up every year, and whether each candidate agrees with the policy.
DiGrigoli said there are many factors which contribute to the assessment process, and it is generally based on the guidelines of sold houses in the area.
Schneider made the point that not everyone’s assessment rate does go up, as hers has stayed the same for the last three years. When they do go up though, she says it’s because people have been buying homes in the area for more money.
“If you live in a desirable community,” she said, “Your assessment is going to go up.”
McGivney seconded the idea that assessment is primarily based on location, saying that the assessment process is based on statistical analysis to get fair market value, and that it is not something the town merely guesses on.
Grattan stated that it’s important to remember that assessments should be fair, and that it would be wrong to use the perfect home with the best of everything as a standard for the process.
The question of what the candidates planned to do about outdoor wood boilers also arose, and the candidates generally agreed that regulation of some type was necessary, but that there were now extremely efficient wood burners, and that it would be best to make sure people were using the boilers they already had in the most correct and economically friendly fashion.
Leader also added that she was against the banning of the boilers, as a town or village should not tell people how to heat their homes.
One of the more controversial questions put to the group was what corporations have contributed to each person or parties campaigns for this election.
McGivney said that the Democratic Party had not received any campaign contributions from corporations, but that he knew for a fact that the republicans had received donations from both Barnwell nursing home, and Abacus, a corporation owned by the same man who is proposing the current 84-lot subdivision in Valatie.
Grattan said that every donation is listed on the New York state Board of Elections Web site, and he was aware that the Republican Committee had received a donation from Barnwell, but that they were a local business in the community who paid taxes, and had as much of an interest in the elected officials as anyone else. He also said that using the term “corporation” when talking about businesses like Barnwell simply wasn’t fair.
A full recording of the forum can be found at WGXC.org.
To reach reporter Paul Crossman call 518-828-1616, ext. 2266, or e-mail pcrossman@registerstar.com.
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