David Dukler, candidate for re-election to the Gardiner Town Board, described the Democratic Team’s plans in a letter in the November 2nd edition of the New Paltz Times:
The upcoming election in Gardiner is full of implications for the next period of time. There are substantive differences between the slates of candidates that will have a major impact in the near future. Being part of the Democratic team, I know that our values distinguish us.
We support the vision for Gardiner as outlined in the Master Plan. We will continue to develop and implement plans for smart growth as our community grows. We are open to creative ideas for growth that help to maintain our open spaces, foster the growth of the hamlet, provide for residential alternatives and promote public spaces. 
We will work to protect the resource of the land itself with its water, fauna and flora, recognizing that we cannot take them for granted. We only need to look at communities further south to see how they have squandered shat were once beautiful rural communities to see what we do not want. To achieve a different outcome takes vision and a commitment to be proactive, not reactive, as we see more of the inevitable growth that must come. We are committed to promoting a balanced approach to community going forward so we can have the town we want while maintaining the rural quality of life.
We will provide prudent financial management of your valuable tax dollars. We believe in giving value, saving money while addressing the needs of a growing community. We recognize that the growing cost of living and increasing taxes, especially in light of the escalating lack of financial support co
ming from Washington and Albany, is making it challenging to continue to live here. We concur. We also understand that almost all of this is beyond our control. We will do our best to keep costs down while providing for the needs of the town. We will actively seek grant opportunities where relevant and use those dollars—our taxes—to meet our needs.
We will be proactive as we look to the future. We will anticipate and address issue and concerns before they become big problems and leave us in reactive mode.
We will be thoughtful, open-minded and information seeking. While everyone’s has their preferences, we are not ideological. We do not have the answer ahead-of-time. What we do have is the desire to understand what we are facing and to have open conversations about how to proceed.
We will be good problem solvers. We will bring together our local resources—people, knowledge, energy, dedication to place—so together we can take an active part in the next stage of Gardiner’s history. We recognize that as a small town government, we have limited abilities, monies and time. Within this reality, we will be the team that brings the skills to the table that is needed for the future.
Vote the Democratic team in Gardiner on November 7th.
Vote Lindsley, Wiegand and Dukler
David Dukler
Gardiner