Meet the candidates, and vote

Voting is the foundation of our democracy, giving all of us  the power to choose who will represent us and then to hold them accountable. It is a fundamental right that should not be left unexercised.

Village of Millerton residents will have the opportunity to cast their votes on Tuesday, June 20, in a election for mayor and trustees.

Before then, this coming week on Wednesday, June 14, village residents will have the chance to meet the candidates at a forum to be held at the NorthEast-Millerton Llibrary Annex.  The event will be both in-person and available via Zoom, and will be recorded and streamed.

Two candidates are running for mayor of the Village: Kelly Kilmer and current Mayor Jennifer Najdek, whose term ends this month.  Three candidates are running for two seats on the Village Board of Trustees. They are Lisa Erdner, Raymond Nelson and incumbent David Sherman, whose term also ends this month.

The five candidates are profiled in a Page One article this week by Emily Edelman.  As her article points out, all five contenders have clear ideas about what Millerton needs to move into the future.

What the candidates cite as important for Millerton’s future include the need for a grocery store. The last grocery store ceased operations in 2019. It was a departure that left a void in the community and created what’s been described as a “food desert.” Millerton Fresh Market was only open for a couple of years before it closed its location in 2019 at the Millerton Square Plaza on Route 44, home to the former Grand Union grocery store.

Another need identified by the candidates is a wastewater management system that will replace today’s septic systems that don’t allow for growth, or are in some cases are failing.

Recreation and family life are prominent topics for the candidates, notably the improvements planned for Eddie Collins Memorial Park.

The Village of Millerton Police Department, a recurring topic, surfaces as another discussion point among the candidates for the upcoming election.

Candidates raise issues about fiscal responsibility, and affordability when it comes to weighing the cost and the benefit of projects.

Their experience includes having served in office — the incumbents — and serving on various committees and boards, including community nonprofit organizations.

Reading what the candidates say about what Millerton needs reveals common threads, and it also reflects differing views about not just what the Village needs, but how to approach the work of meeting those needs.

The candidates’ forum on June 14 — appropriately held on Flag Day, which commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777 — is your opportunity to meet the candidates and ask questions and decide for yourself.

(The Millerton News, now a nonprofit newspaper, no longer endorses candidates for public office, but strongly encourages everyone to take advantage of this candidates’ forum and then, of course, to vote.)

After the election for Village offices, a Democratic primary election between Chris Drago and Claire Owens for the seat currently held by Gregg Pulver in the county legislature will be held on Tuesday, June 27.