The Gardiner Democratic Committee (GDC) is the official arm of the state, county, and national Democratic Parties in Gardiner, New York. It is our responsibility to identify and recruit interested and qualified candidates for local offices of government here in Gardiner. As part of this effort, we are seeking to speak with citizens who may be interested in contributing their time, energy, and talents as local elected officials. Before every election, the GDC interviews and votes on whether to endorse candidates for public office. In addition, the GDC sponsors a Democratic Caucus prior to each election, a public meeting and vote wherein candidates interested in running on the Democratic ballot line have an opportunity to make their case to be the official Democratic candidate for available slots on the ballot. Democrats who are registered to vote in Gardiner will gather at the caucus to select our party’s candidates for town offices. While membership (party registration) in the Democratic Party is not a prerequisite for candidates seeking either GDC endorsement or nomination at the caucus, the GDC is looking for possible candidates who strongly share the values of the Democratic Party.
November 2019 Elections Call for Candidates
On November 5, 2019, an election will be held to determine who holds the following Gardiner offices:
- Town Board Member (2 positions)
- Town Supervisor (1 position)
Here are brief job descriptions for your consideration. For further information on the positions and town government responsibilities in general, see https://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/pubs/townoff/ito.pdf
Town Board Members (2 positions available this year)
Gardiner has five Town Board Members, four of whom serve staggered four-year terms (the fifth is Town Supervisor, which is up for election every two years). The legislative authority of the town rests in the town board, which is the governing body of the town. The Town Board makes all significant decisions of the town government, including, but not limited to: discussing and passing laws and ordinances; budgeting; filling vacancies in town offices, elective or appointive; may select a town attorney and a town engineer; and provides for the hiring of other employees as necessary for the conduct of the town’s business. Other functions are too numerous to list here.
The Gardiner Town Board holds regular meetings on the first two Tuesdays of every month and meets at other times as necessary to get the business of the down done. Town board members also generally serve as liaisons to town operating departments and other town entities, attending meetings as necessary to provide that oversight and communication function. The estimated total time commitment is 10-15 hours per month. Salary is currently $5,585 annually (no healthcare coverage offered), as well as contributions to the state retirement system.
Town Supervisor (1 position available this year)
The Gardiner Town Supervisor serves as the town executive and administrator. After town board decisions have been made, it is the supervisor who often carries out the decisions. The supervisor usually receives the majority of complaints and suggestions of citizens, as well. The Town Supervisor also serves as the presiding officer (chairperson) of the town board, a town legislator (one of five votes of the town board), the town fiscal officer. In short, the Gardiner Town Supervisor is the top manager of the town government.
The Gardiner Town Supervisor commits an estimated 100 hours of his or her time to town business each month, however, this amount may vary considerably based on issues he or she is dealing with at any point in time. The Town Supervisor appoints a Deputy Town Supervisor to fill in and make necessary decisions when the Supervisor is not available. The annual salary for Gardiner Town Supervisor is currently $42,026 per year with healthcare coverage provided (20% individual contribution), as well as contributions to the state retirement system.
If Interested, Please Contact Us
If you think you might be interested in either a position on the Gardiner Town Board or as Gardiner Town Supervisor, or would just like more information, we are interested in speaking with you! Please contact:
GDC Chair, Mike Kruglinski
(845) 649-8966
bigkrug@yahoo.com
GDC Vice Chair Lisa Lindsley
(201) 321-0301
lisa.lindsley@gmail.com