Millerton elections: Meet the candidates

MILLERTON — Village elections are on a Wednesday this year, as the Tuesday that would normally be Election Day falls on St. Patrick’s Day. That said, there are three candidates vying for two Village Board seats, with incumbent Mayor Marty Markonic running unopposed.

Christine Bates

Village Trustee Christine Bates is the only incumbent running for trustee. Although not registered with an official party, she was cross-endorsed by both the Democrats and the Republicans. She’s served one two-year term already, and is seeking her second.

“I am excited about being able to be part of a great team,” she said. “The Village Board the last two years has been very productive; it’s worked well together and gotten a lot done. I think it’s a team effort.”

Among some of their accomplishments, Bates said board members were able to operate more efficiently and do more with less, keeping the budget in check.

The village Highway Department was also remanned, which she said was “a very big accomplishment in an emergency situation.”

Now the village employs a professional municipal water management company that checks on the water daily.

“These people are professionals, this is their business, so I think it provides the certainty of safety in our water supply,” Bates said.

Another accomplishment she’s proud of is relocating the summer camp to Rudd Pond. She also helped reorganize the office staff at Village Hall.

Bates has also been a main player behind getting the village much-needed grant dollars, for sidewalks and other projects.

What she’d like to see, she said, “is greater community involvement in all levels of the village.”

To meet that end she worked on the village website.

She also wants to promote and increase opportunities at Eddie Collins Field park as well as promote local tourism.

“A lot of other villages and towns say, ‘Millerton is so great,’” she said. “They ask, ‘How did you do it?’ It takes a mix of people and businesses, and we’re fortunate enough to have businesses and activities that attract people to the village.”

Bates said she wants people to know she’s a hard worker and easy to access. Mostly, she said, she wants them to head to the polls.

Nancy Vialpando

Rather than sit down for an interview, Democrat Nancy Vialpando sent in written comments via email.

“I returned to Millerton almost 30 years ago to live in and raise my three sons in the house on Simmons Street where I myself grew up,” she stated. “Currently I am semiretired and working part time in the library at Webutuck Central Schools.

“Over the past three decades I have been an elementary art teacher, the town clerk and am still the owner of a picture framing business that I maintain in my home.

“It would be an honor to be entrusted with some of the decisions keeping and improving our village as the safe, comfortable and alluring place it has the right to be.”

Stephen Waite

Stephen Waite, also not registered with an official party, has been endorsed by the Republicans. He said he was asked by and nominated by the Republican party and agreed to run.

“That was the first thing,” he said. “The second thing was to give it some thought. I have a long family history not only within the village but in the town. That’s part of it. Another big reason for me was the recent passing of [former Mayor] Mariley Najdek, who in my opinion was a very courageous lady who worked tirelessly to improve the village. It definitely influenced my decision.”

Waite said he looks to improve upon what the village has become during the last two decades.

“It’s changed since I was a kid,” he said, “and I want to be someone that supports businesses that are here now and encourage businesses that may want to locate here in the village.”

He also wants to focus on recreation, specifically Eddie Collins Field park.

“To me it’s an important part of the community,” he said.

Another focus for Waite is infrastructure.

“That’s something we always have to think about and work toward improving,” he said. “Sidewalks, structures — it’s very important because there’s a lot of foot traffic in the village, and it’s very nice to see.”

Parking is another issue he’d work on, along with re-establishing the Recreation Commission.

He said he would be open to suggestions, too.

“I’ll listen to what villagers have to say, what might be their concerns, things they’d like to see done.”

Waite is medically retired from the U.S. Air Force, where he was an airman first class. He has an associate degree in arts from Columbia-Greene Community College and has volunteered in the Rhinebeck School District as a soccer coach and educator. He has also worked as an educational speaker for colleges, nursing students and high school students.

Marty Markonic

Libertarian Marty Markonic is running unopposed for a second term as mayor. He’s been cross-endorsed by the Democrats and Republicans. He served as a village trustee for seven years before serving as mayor.

“I like doing what I’m doing,” he said. “There’s a few more things I want to accomplish, and when I get things done that I wanted to finish then I’ll re-evaluate it.”

Some of the things that he’s gotten done include restaffing Village Hall and the highway and water departments. He’s also helped upgrade the village website, which he still wants to improve further.

He helped move the summer camp to Rudd Pond, which he described as “awesome,” and worked to gain grant dollars for sidewalk projects in the village. 

Additionally, he said, he hopes he’s made an impact on people and their beliefs about government.

“Hopefully I’ve influenced some of the people around me to take it easy with so much government and to let people do more of what they want to do without being restricted,” he said. “That’s probably one of the reasons why I feel like I want to stay — to keep spreading the word and letting people have their individuality.”

Another big accomplishment for Markonic and his board has been holding a tight line on taxes.

“Last year one of the major accomplishments was to keep taxes at 0, and taxes were below 0 my first year,” he said. “This year will be tough because we lost a big rent from our water tower, and with the winter, but we’ll do our best to try to keep it down to 0 or to a small raise. Taxes are a big thing, especially with our economy. I’d like to see people get back on their feet before we do anything major. We’ll do the best we can for now.”

As far as major challenges, Markonic said he doesn’t seek anything too big to tackle.

Infrastructure and sidewalk upgrades and improvements at Traver Place, plus increasing community participation, are all on his to-do list.

Election information

Elections will be held on Wednesday, March 18, from noon until 9 p.m. at the Nutrition Site at Village Hall, 21 Dutchess Ave., Millerton.