Millerton village elections: Two trustee seats up for grabs come March 20

MILLERTON — Voters in the village of Millerton will head to the polls on Tuesday, March 20, to elect two new village trustees to office. There are four candidates running for the two, two-year posts: three Democrats and one Republican.

Two of the Democrats, Matt Hartzog and Eliot Ramos, were endorsed by the Democrats.

One other Democrat, Alicia Sartori, was endorsed by the Republicans. She is also running on the independent line, the Millerton Vision Party.

Along with Sartori, incumbent Trustee Dave Sherman, a Republican, was endorsed by his party. He’s also running on the Millerton Vision Party line.

Trustee Stephen Waite, whose term expires at the end of March, did not opt to run for re-election. His seat, and Sherman’s, are up for grabs.

Voting will take place from noon to 9 p.m. at the Village Nutrition Center, located on Simmons Street at the side entrance to Village Hall, located at 21 Dutchess Ave.

The four candidates sat down with The Millerton News to talk about why they’re running and what they hope to accomplish if elected. Their candidate profiles follow below.

Matt Hartzog

Democrat Matt Hartzog loves where he lives. He loves Millerton so much, in fact, that he wants to serve on its governing board. Already a member of the Millerton Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), Hartzog said he’s looking to accomplish more as a village trustee.

“I think the idea of what a village trustee is needs to expand,” he said. “The current idea of a trustee providing maintenance and administration needs to expand, to include reaching out more to the community. We don’t run into each other in the grocery store like we used to. There’s a disconnect. We don’t have that constant flow of information coming in to make decisions. We don’t know what people are thinking.”

Hartzog said communication is key to address that gap.

“I think we can reach out more to local volunteer groups. Everybody has great goals, but one doesn’t necessarily know what the other is trying to accomplish,” he said. “I think we need to work on reaching out to existing groups like Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and the Dutchess County Development Council to encourage new employers here in Millerton and to help grow our existing businesses.”

An interior designer with more than 30 years of experience, Hartzog lived in New York City and London before settling down in Millerton. He said he’s come to love the small-town feel of the village. Like his running mate, Eliot Ramos, he spoke of holding gatherings on Century Boulevard as a way to meet and greet his neighbors.

“It’s a way for people to get together face to face,” he said. “Parades are great, but you’re just on the side of the street watching the parade go by. It’s nice to have more of an open-forum community meeting with the board to talk, listen to ideas and have questions rather than just an agenda and the current meeting structure. Maybe have them twice a year, get everyone face to face, and it won’t cost anything except for time.”

He spoke of the forward momentum in the community, with the Millerton Pedestrian Plan and the North East Comprehensive Plan Update. 

“It’s really important that we are working to define who we are,” Hartzog said, “then we can sit down and figure out, as a community, what our goals are so we can start working to get that to happen.”

The candidate said he’d like to see light industrial growth take place in Millerton. Improvements to the village’s infrastructure will be important to reach that goal and others, he said. The bottom line, said Hartzog, is that to move forward, the Village Board must be proactive.

“We’ve been looking at the same problems for the last 40 years and we still have those same problems,” he said. “Let’s be proactive, think ahead and get ourselves out of the box and see what’s coming at us.”

Lastly, Hartzog said he wants to keep the community active, and open.

“I’d really work to keep Millerton a village and not necessarily a bedroom community,” he said. “Let’s be more proactive about making the village how we want it to be. A lot of that is listening to people, because everybody has slightly different ideas. But at the end of the day, they’re similar ideas.”

Eliot Ramos

Eliot Ramos, who surprises those expecting a man to bear the name, is making her first foray into the world of politics. The Democrat does do a bit of volunteer work. She helps out at the North East Community Center (NECC) and also serves on the village’s volunteer zoning board. Currently, she works at McEnroe Organic in the farm store.

With experience as an environmentalist who worked to return spawning fish back to the Connecticut and Pawtuxet Rivers, Ramos is keenly aware of where she lives and why she loves it here. She also has ideas on how to improve life in the village.

“I think it’s super important that we focus on attracting good business here for the future so we can keep young people here in town and provide a living wage, so they can stay in the town they were raised in and raise their kids here,” she said. “We talk a lot about making Millerton more of a destination — we have the Rail Trail, Rudd Pond, all these things are great. It would be lovely to have a small park downtown with benches.

“We need recreation for older people and for young people. We need housing for older people as well, close to the CVS and supermarket,” Ramos added. 

She said the pedestrian plan the village has been working on is especially important.

“Everyone is very interested in getting sidewalks, that’s for sure,” she said. “We have all the sidewalk plans, and I think we’d like to see it all finished.”

To meet that end, said the candidate, grants will need to be sought. Which brings up another point near and dear to her heart.

“I think we need to look very hard for funding for all the projects we want to get done,” said Ramos. “We’ve got to reach out for state and federal monies, maybe some private donations.”

Like her running mate, Matt Hartzog, Ramos said she’d like to bring politics to the people.

“I think having more open meetings to encourage more village participation is key,” she said. “We both love the idea that Century Boulevard used to be Parking Street, and there used to be block parties. That’s a great way to get the community connected, less formal than Spring for Sound, to get to know your neighbors.”

Ramos also said it would be beneficial to get the commercial district in line with village needs and budgets.

“Making sure some of the shops actually serve those of us who live here, and keeping them affordable by keeping rent for the shops affordable, would also help,” she said. “Then people will actually want to walk downtown and do some of their shopping.”

Ramos also mentioned her concern that the population is declining and school enrollment is dwindling.

“I’m thinking of ways to keep the town and the village as vibrant as they can be,” she said. “We don’t want to suffer.”

Regardless of the issue, Ramos said she’s willing to do the legwork.

“I’m willing to work hard on the board,” she said. “I wouldn’t just sit there. I’d listen to people, do my homework, get things done. I’m optimistic, so that gives me the feeling these things can be done. And I’m not afraid to challenge things that could be difficult.”

Alicia Sartori

A reflection of how small town politics often stray from party lines, Democrat Alicia Sartori was actually endorsed by the Republicans in this year’s village election. She’s also running on the independent Millerton Vision Party line, with Republican Dave Sherman.

Although she has held no previous office, Sartori has lived in the area for practically her whole life, growing up in Amenia and moving to Millerton in 2001.

Like her opponents, the political newcomer said funding is a critical need in village government.

“I know there are a lot of projects  going on, and I’d like to help find other means of funding, through grants, and other options to get funds to do these projects, because they’re great projects.”

Some projects that topped her list include revitalizing Eddie Collins Field and finalizing the joint comprehensive plan with the town of North East. She’s also a supporter of the village’s pedestrian plan and wants to get the water meters done.

“I know this is all happening, and everything goes back to funding,” she said. 

She also spoke of village needs, especially when it comes to planning.

“I know the village needs to have smart growth,” said Sartori. “Just bringing in good businesses and doing zoning to make them work for the village, and to really make smart decisions for the future so that every option is thought of, is important.”

To make that happen, said the candidate, brings things full circle.

“Money,” she said. “Funding is needed to accomplish the plans that they have. I think it’s really one of the biggest issues, and there’s a lot going on. 

“Let’s get to the next step,” said Sartori, “and make some decisions.”

She said that her management and organizational skills can help the village move forward with a number of projects it has on the burners currently.

As executive director for the Academy of Orton Gillingham Practitioners and Educators, a teaching method for dyslexics applied in schools like Kildonan, Sartori knows the importance of paying attention to detail. She said plans to beautify the village are worth pursuing. 

She spoke specifically of the Millerton Pedestrian Plan that the village just completed with the help of the Dutchess County Transportation Council.

“I’ve seen some of the plans, and they make it seem more friendly, and, I guess, open,” she said, adding there are other improvements that can help define the village as well. “Maybe we can have more places to hang out, just to see more people, and maybe more places to sit. We can make it easier to get around, and help with traffic, because we all know people kind of fly through the village. Maybe if we put up more barriers, people would take it slower, we could make it safer and more appealing.”

A consensus builder, Sartori said one of the best things about living in the village is the collective energy everybody brings to the table — especially those who volunteer their time and services.

“There’s a lot going on with all these committees, and it seems from what I gathered, people are working together from all the committees and everyone has the best interest of both the town and the village in mind,” she said. “They put a lot of time into these projects and I’m very interested in helping move it along.

“I would hope people would vote for me because I’m a hard worker, and when I take on a project or a task, I complete it,” she added. “I like to do research for whatever needs to be done to make a good decision. And I care about the village. I grew up in Amenia and went to Webutuck so I’m local. Even when I lived in the city for a while, this area has always been my home.”

Dave Sherman

Republican Dave Sherman knows a lot about the village of Millerton. A lifelong resident, Sherman served as the town supervisor for the town of North East (which includes the village of Millerton) for nearly 20 years. 

Also running on the independent line, Millerton Vision Party, alongside Alicia Sartori, Sherman has served as trustee on the Village Board for four years. Now, he’s seeking another two-year term.

“A lot is going on and things are in development that are near and dear to my heart and my knowledge and understanding of the village,” he said, when asked why he wants to remain as a public servant.

Sherman, who is the assistant business manager for the City of Poughkeepsie School District, said he wants “to keep the village a vibrant community and a great place to live.”

Specifically, he said, he thinks the village should focus on the work needed “to repair and improve the community and to preserve our sense of place and historic appearance.”

Attracting more businesses, providing local employment, offering more recreation activities year round for all ages and improving the village’s infrastructure — sidewalks, water system and a “workable alternative for a wastewater/sewer system” are all priorities for the seasoned lawmaker.

Sherman was one of the minds behind the village’s pedestrian plan, which he said is a “special subject” that he’s proud of bringing to the attention of the village and town. The main objective, he said, is safety. Once hazardous walkways are repaired and replaced, the village can “move on to new improvements like walkways on Century Boulevard and the traffic intersection crossing at Maple Avenue and Main Street.”

Regarding the comprehensive plan update, Sherman said his main concern is that the village and town “have a nice community set in an attractive rural landscape.” He wants to ensure that doesn’t change.

As far as the biggest challenges facing the village, the incumbent said working with a limited budget and finding funding for important projects without overburdening taxpayers is key. Many projects, like replacing the water mains and service connections for water district customers “are capital intensive and require long-term financial planning.”

To accomplish such goals, said Sherman, “The village needs to sustain and grow its tax base so it may continue to have sound financial footing in the future.”

If elected, he said voters will get someone in office who is trustworthy and competent. Along with “direct experience” managing municipal operations and finances, Sherman said he strives to “approach matters with an open mind, and to provide  fair and equitable solutions to problems. I listen to what people have to say.”