Election Results

Here are the election results from yesterday from the BOE site:

Supervisor:

Majestic:          1002

Lindsley:         981

Town Board:

Dukler:            1171

Wiegand:          1253

Hayes:              824

O’Dell:            427

So it was a good night for our Town Board candidates.  Lisa did better than most expected and is still in a position to win after the absentee ballots are counted.  124 absentee ballots were sent out.  We don’t know how many were actually received back.  We are looking at the possibility of a manual recount.  Results will probably take 2-3 weeks to be finalized. Lisa ran an outstanding campaign, as did our other candidates.

Thank you to all who came out to vote for our great candidates!  Turnout was very strong.

We are cleaning up our election signs. Please help us by picking up  any of our yard signs you can. Tracey’s signs can be saved and dropped off at her house at 45 Sandhill Rd. or at Mike Kruglinski’s house at 12 Wolf Lane. Our other yard signs can be left at the transfer station (no charge) or at Mike’s house or in your trash. We try to save and reuse the metal frames, which can be left at Mike’s house.

More later.

Dukler Describes Democratic Team’s Plans

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. gunks-2

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 codavid-dukler-squareming 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

 

Why I Am Supporting Lisa Lindsley for Gardiner Town Supervisor

I am supporting Lisa Lindsley for election to the office of Gardiner Town Supervisor on November 7. Lisa is the best candidate in the race for the following reasons: First and foremost, she is the most qualified. Lisa brings a level of management expertise we haven’t seen in Gardiner for a long time. She is a superbly educated and successful businesswoman with a long career in banking and business consulting who is ready to put those skills to work for our town.

Lisa head shot cropped
Second, her values and priorities are in the right place—she stands for something. Her democratic values precluded the “run-on-any-ticket-that-will-have-me” approach that we see in other candidates for local office. She believes in and acts on her value of environmentalism and maintaining Gardiner’s non-sprawl rural environment. She believes in and acts on her value of sticking up for the little guy and not the moneyed interests. She will fight for ordinary Gardiner citizens and not those seeking to cash-in on Gardiner’s beauty.
Third, her team leadership capabilities are superb. She has led many high-performance teams in her business and political life. We certainly need that in Gardiner. She is a people-person and an excellent listener who gets things done. I have had the pleasure of working with Lisa closely and can attest to her determination, work ethic, creativity and intelligence. I have spent 30 years as professional trainer, leadership consultant, and human resources executive and have worked with hundreds of leaders over the years, in business, labor, health care and government. Lisa is one of the very best I have seen.
Finally, Lisa Lindsley has the courage and grit to, as a relatively recent Gardiner resident, take on one of the most famous names in Gardiner because she cares and knows she can do better. Such a choice says something about the character and guts she brings to the table.
Lisa Lindsley is the real thing, the full package. Vote for Lisa Lindsley on November 7.

Tom Kruglinski

 

Dukler Talks Property Taxes

The New Paltz Times recently published the Q&A from the candidates for the Gardiner Town Board.  Let’s look at what my opponents’ state they have to offer.   One candidate wants to reduce the town’s services to only those which she deems essential: safety, highway and tax collection.  What would that mean?  The following would immediately be eliminated:  the Transfer Station, Majestic Park, the Library.  How about the animal control officer, the Gardiner Senior Resource Committee which serves all of Gardiner’s seniors?  What will happen to the need for updates to the Master Plan and Code?  Maintenance on the rail trail?  The Pole Barn, the gazebo? New financial management software to provide modern tools to better able to manage Gardiner’s finances?

How much money would be saved?  According to the Gardiner Assessor’s Office for 2017, Gardiner residents in the New Paltz School Distrproperty tax imageict, per $1000 of assessed valuation of their property, paid:

$21.50 in school tax, 74% of their taxes

$ 4.29 in count taxes, 15% of their taxes

$ .30 for the Library, 1% of taxes

$ 1.51 for Highway, 5.2% of taxes

$ . 51 for fire, 1.8% of taxes

$ .94 for General Budget Expenses, 3.1% of taxes.

On a tax bill of $8000, $248 is what is as a result of the budget under the control of the Town Board.  All other costs are from other entities: Fire, Highway, County, and Library.  If one believes that any tax is too much, than any tax cut is better than nothing.  For some in our community, even this amount is meaningful if not large in dollars.  It certainly has a symbolism far beyond the dollars involved.  What makes a catchy slogan or a good bumper sticker does not necessarily make for good governance.  It is a lot easier to be the party of “No” than it is to govern.

Both (non-Democratic) candidates for Town Board have also called for changes to zoning that would override the Master Plan by allowing for more development.  They favor reduction of the current 5-acre zoning to 2 acres.  The argument is that such changes will make Gardiner “more affordable” for the next generation.  The cost savings obtained by the reduction on a 2000 sq. ft. raised ranch house would amount to $78/month on a 30-year mortgage at 4%.  Many of the aspects of living in Gardiner that residents have come to enjoy would be compromised.  More housing would mean more traffic, longer drives, more stop signs and lights, more kids in schools needing more classrooms and teachers, more pollution, more light at night, more noise and more demand on local resources.  The relatively few dollars saved with smaller lots will be go to higher taxes for schools and increased services.  The savings are not there.  This is the kind of thoughtful attention I give to issues that come before the board–analysis for understanding, consideration of options that fit Gardiner.  Please vote for me on November 7th.

David Dukler
Candidate for Re-Election to the Gardiner Town Board

Dave cropped 2

PROGRESSIVE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Gardiner Dems and Friends, we REALLY need your help in our efforts to get out the Democratic Vote for November 7!  We have a variety of GET-OUT-THE-VOTE efforts planned–including phone banking, door-to-door canvassing sessions and election day activities–and we need volunteers to do this.  You will find your efforts fun and rewarding and you will get to meet lots of new people in the process. Phone canvassing image

If you have never done this type of work before, rest assured, you will receive training before we put you to work.

Winning big in local elections in 2017 is key to prevailing in 2018 and 2020.  If you are outraged every day at the latest Trump tweets or what the Republican Congress is doing to harm our country and its most vulnerable, the place to start making a difference is now in these local elections.  Our local candidates have a huge effect on our lives and they share your Democratic values.  Please help them get into office.

Even if you can only donate a few hours between now and election day, please sign up!

You can sign up at this link.  If you have any questions regarding volunteer work, contact Lisa Lindsley at (845) 419-8929 or lisa.lindsley@gmail.com.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Gardiner Sample Ballot–Please Vote Row A

The Board of Elections has released, after a long delay related to the UC District 16 controversy, the sample ballot for Gardiner.  You can access it at the link below.

Gardiner Sample Ballot 2017

Please Vote Row A All the way!

Ballot box

Lisa Lindsley for Town Supervisor

David Dukler for Councilman

Warren Wiegand for Councilman

Tracey Bartels for Ulster County Legislator

Julian Schreibman for State Supreme Court Justice

Elliott Auerbach for County Comptroller

Michelle Mosher for Town Clerk

Brian Stiscia for Highway Superintendent

Robert Rich for  Town Justice

Also, please pay attention to the reverse side of the ballot.  We are urging voters to vote NO on the Constitutional Convention ballot question.

Lindsley’s “Gutsy” Declaration of Her Values

The following letter was reprinted, with permission of the author, from the October 26 issue of the New Paltz Times

At the Gardiner Democratic Party Caucus last July 14, Lisa Lindsley sought and received the Party’s nomination for Town Supervisor in the upcoming November 7 general election.  Before being elected, in her brief speech, Lisa had told the audience that she “never would run as a Republican,” which underlined one significant difference between her and her opponent, another Democrat–Marybeth Majestic. Marybeth already had publicly stated that if she lost the Democratic nomination, she would the seek the Republican Party’s nomination. Win or lose at the Democratic Caucus, Marybeth planned to be on the November ballot; whether she ran as a Democrat or a Republican, mattered not.Democratic Values

“I never would run as a Republican.”  I have thought a lot about Lisa Lindsley’s statement and have come to believe that it reveals important information about who she is.  And I like what I learned.

First, it’s a gutsy thing to say.  She is being honest, forthright and yeah, courageous–qualities that voters should look for, value and appreciate in their elected representatives. Leaders who possess, model and expect these critical qualities in others, unite us and strengthen our resolve to make our Community better for everyone.

Second, it’s a smart, knowledgeable, and confident thing to say.  Lisa Lindsley’s communication skills are excellent; she does her homework and she knows and feels good about who she is.  She pays attention; she listens and responds to what you have to say.  She talks with you, not at you. She is informed about what you care about. She shares her thoughts clearly, openly and succinctly.

Third, Lisa Lindsley’s statement shows a commitment to principles and core values.  There are fundamental differences in the philosophies, policies and goals of  the Republican and Democratic Parties. And those differences matter at every level of government and in every Community, including the Town of Gardiner. Given those fundamental differences, how can one candidate be committed to both political parties?

What about those differences in philosophy, policies and goals?

As a voter, I need to know where the Town candidates stand on those very issues where there are substantive differences between Democrats and Republicans because these issues deeply affect every Community.  I want everyone to feel safe and secure.  Everyone should have access to affordable health care.  Every child should have the opportunity for a quality public school education.   Economic and political favoritism for the wealthy and big businesses doesn’t trickle down to benefit the masses.  Eleven million undocumented immigrants shouldn’t be deported. The government has a responsibility to protect and preserve our environment. Women should have access to quality reproductive care.  Gun control is an urgent need. Voter ID requirements needlessly and wrongly suppress election participation.  Political contributions should not be secret.

A Candidate’s political party affiliation matters.  For a candidate, to be comfortable running in a particular election as a Democrat OR a Republican concerns and confuses me.

But I know who Lisa Lindsley is, where she stands and what she will try to do for the people in my Community.  And I like what I know.  I am supporting Lisa Lindsley, the Democratic Candidate for Gardiner Town Supervisor.

Maryann Fallek
Gardiner, New York

Court Decides Ballot Issue in Favor of Democratic Commissioner–Absentee Ballots to Be Mailed Soon

State Supreme Court Justice Christopher Cahill ruled that the Democratic Election Commissioner, Ashley Dittus, was correct in her interpretation of state law and that Kathy Miller will remain on the November ballot as the 16th District Legislative candidate forI voted absentee the Republican, Independence and Conservative parties.  Judge Cahill agreed that Miller’s filings that declined the nominations were due on July 17, 2017 (August 24 for the Independence Party nomination), as the Democrats have maintained, and thus Miller’s attempt to decline the nominations were untimely and hence illegal.  Also held invalid were the filings that attempted to substitute Miller’s husband, Jim Miller, for her on the ballot.  A link to the court’s decision in this matter appears below.

The practical implication of this court ruling is that the ballots will be printed with Kathy Miller’s name on them.  Miller is presumed to be unable to serve because of the federal Hatch Act and her employment as a rural letter carrier.

Absentee ballots could arrive in the mailboxes of 16th Legislative District residents as early as the first part of next week.  They should be available at the Board of Elections by the end of this week.  Although extremely late, residents who applied for absentee ballots will be able to cast them prior to Election Day, November 7.  This is good news for voters.

Here are some useful links:

BOE Decision

Daily Freeman Article on BOE Decision 

Absentee Ballot Application

Ulster County Webpage on Absentee Ballots

The Republican Plot to Suppress the Vote in Gardiner and Shawangunk

If you live in Ulster Legislative District 16 (Towns of Gardiner and Shawangunk) and are wondering why you have not yet received your absentee ballot in the mail, it is because the Republicans here are following a pattern set by Republicans nationwide.  They are attempting to suppress the vote.Stop voter suppression

It’s a bit complicated but here’s how it’s going down:  At their caucus in early June, the Republicans nominated Kathy Miller to run for District 16 Legislator against incumbent Tracey Bartels. (Bartels is unaffiliated but caucuses with the Democratic members of the legislature).  Miller, it turns out, is a rural letter carrier and is legally barred from running for public office under the federal Hatch Act.  They realized this fatal error sometime around the middle of September.  However, the legal deadline to withdraw from the ballot after being nominated was July 25, as the Board of Elections needs ample time to get the absentee ballots printed and mailed to voters. See the problem? By the time they realized their error, it was legally too late to remove Miller’s name from the ballot.  She was putting her job in jeopardy by being on the ballot and if she won she would not be able to serve.

So the Republicans hatched a scheme to circumvent the law.  They showed up at the Board of Elections on September 28, two months past the legal deadline, with bogus paperwork to illegally substitute Kathy Miller’s husband, Jim Miller, for their legally barred letter carrier candidate.  They were betting that the Democratic Elections Commissioner, Ashley Dittus, would go along with this scheme. She did not.  Since then, Tom Turco, the Republican Elections Commissioner has refused to certify the absentee ballots with Kathy Miller’s name on them in compliance with election law.

Here we are in late October and no voter in District 16 has an absentee ballot available because the Republicans are holding them hostage unless we go along with their illegal plot.  The Democratic Party has gone to court to force the Board of Elections to get the ballots certified and mailed.  During an attempted mediation of the dispute, Republican boss Tom Turco allegedly said, “I don’t care if no one in District 16 gets to vote absentee this year.”  Knowing that a majority of absentee voters in the district are Democrats, they are refusing to comply with the law.  We are doing everything we can to speed up the court case, but it is still pending. We will keep you updated.

This week, in a brazen PR move designed to apply pressure on the Democratic Party to acquiesce to their illegal scheme, the Republicans issued a press release filled with misinformation, including the bogus allegation that it is the Democrats who are trying to disenfranchise Republicans by opposing their new chosen candidate for county legislator.   Like so much from Republicans in the age of Trump, this is pure nonsense or “fake news.”

Local right-wing “eccentric,” Pam O’Dell, has been posting this Republican fake news in various places, including on the Town of Gardiner Facebook page. We felt it was important to set the record straight.

2017 is the year to reject Trumpism in all of its forms and in all of the places it rears its ugly head, including Gardiner and Shawangunk. 

Vote Row A on November 7! 

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Dukler Answers Queries from the New Paltz Times

Gardiner Town Board candidate David Dukler answers questions posed by the New Paltz Times about his bid for re-election to his second four-year term.Dave cropped 2

1. What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the Town of Gardiner at
present?

Gardiner is facing a new wave of development after years of relative quiet. The most visible of these are the large-scale projects: Heartwood, Route 208 Apartments, Shaft Road. They all have raised concerns about their design, both on the part of the planning board and the public. While the planning board uses the code to evaluate the projects, the public has concerns that go to the heart of the Master Plan and how the code comports with it. As we have recently discovered, the code does not cover all recent developments in the marketplace. Heartwood is described as a “glamping” project, a glamour-camping resort that fall between the cracks of our code. This ambiguity needs to be solved. The availability of water as we go forward has also raised concerns. With the changing weather patterns and effect on rainfall, residents are understandably concerned about how large-scale projects will affect them. Other residents are concerned that property rights may be compromised by additional regulation. It is the responsibility of the Town Board to address this crucial issue. We need to: 1—revise the code in areas where it is found to be lacking. We must do that with input from all stakeholders as well as those with expertise in areas related to development issues; 2—review, revise and reaffirm the Master Plan as our guiding document. The MP was arrived at through a process involving a large group of community members. It represents our community’s vision for our town. 3—bring the public and private sector together to create a plan for Gardiner going forward.

2. What, in your view, is Gardiner’s most threatened resource? Most underutilized resource?

The rural environment that has been Gardiner since its inception is slowly disappearing before our eyes. While we knew that this would eventually happen, we are now experiencing an acceleration of that change. It makes real what more development means. It raises our awareness of how precious our open spaces and vistas are, how much of what we have we take for granted. As we move forward, we must reaffirm our commitment to preserving what we love about Gardiner while shaping the Gardiner of the future.

I believe that our hamlet district is our most under-utilized resource. By working to create more in-hamlet density housing, we could accomplish a number of goals. We could create less expensive residential units for both renters and owners. We could foster the condition for more businesses in the hamlet. We could promote a walkable hamlet for shopping, families, seniors as well as more utilization of Majestic Park. We could make the possibility of a drug store, a theater, more food establishments and other community businesses more likely.

3. If (re)elected, what would be your top-priority action to take as Town Board member in your first year of the next term?

My first priority is to have the zoning codes updated. We must also consider the need for a moratorium as pertains to sections of the code that are deemed lacking in specificity. The community needs to feel confident that the board is doing all in its power to see that the intent of the Master Plan is being carried out and that no projects are allowed to fall through the cracks.
4. What practical measures can the Town Board take to help the Planning and Zoning Boards cope with the recent deluge of large-scale development proposals, many of which are controversial?

The Town Board needs to engage in a conversation with both the Planning Board and the ZBA. We need to hear about their view of the challenges we face and what resources they need. We need to reach out to the wide array of resources—governmental and private—and access their expertise that can help us better understand and meet the challenges of recent development pressures and projects. We need to see that our budgets are sufficient to meet these needs.

5. What needs to be done on the municipal level in order to make/keep Gardiner an affordable place to live?

“Keeping Gardiner affordable” is a great bumper sticker slogan. But what do we mean by affordable? What solutions do we have? What will make an impact? Some have called for a reduction of residential zoning from 5 to 2 acres. In a survey of local realtors, a consensus emerged that a three-acre reduction on a 2000’ new raised ranch house would result in about a $25,000 reduction in cost. Over a 30 year mortgage and a current rate of 4%, it would result in a monthly mortgage savings of $78(assuming 10%$ down). Increased density also has hidden costs. All studies have shown that new residential housing demands more in services than they pay in taxes, causing rates to go up for all. Greater housing density means more cars, longer drive times, degradation of the local environment, and more demand for and pressure on public spaces.

The best tool that town government has to create more residential options is to formulate and actively promote an alternate vision for the town. As described above, a new and expanded vision for the hamlet could serve as a new model for small town—rural development. The town could work to bring together residents, developers, planners, environmentalists, seniors, families, and all other interested parties to craft and new model that would find a new way of keeping Gardiner rural while building both a housing and business base that would create a vibrant Main St, increase our tax base while preserving the rural and small town community we all value.

6. What background, experience, skills or approaches do you feel make you the most qualified candidate for the elected office you seek?

1—I am a problem solver. I am not doctrinaire. I approach issues as problems that need to be solved. I promote discussion for understanding, dialogue and use of all available resources to help make the best decisions.
2—In discussion of issues, I seek to understand. When we differ, I want to comprehend my colleagues thinking. I know that life is rarely black and white, that there are many ways to create solutions. The more we understand, the better we can be in devising effective solutions.
3—I show up and work. I have hardly missed any meetings over four years. I have actively sought out additional work to support the two supervisors and boards with whom I have served. I will continue to take on that role as there is much work to do and not enough time to get it done, no matter whom I serve with. I have a passion to improve the life of our town. I chose to live her. I value that choice every day. I will work so that future generations will get the best of Gardiner in the future.
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