Village elections in New York are set for Tuesday.
Voters in villages across the state go to the polls Tuesday. Most have uncontested races for mayor and for trustee seats. There are several villages where three or more candidates are vying for two available trustee seats.
In Kinderhook, Dorene Weir is running unopposed after Mayor Michael Abrams decided not to seek another term. "In village government there is no national party affiliation. So I am what they call the Lindenwald Party. You get to choose the name of your personal party," said Weir.
Weir is currently in her second term as a village trustee. She says the mayor's duties in small communities are similar to those of mayors in larger municipalities. “The workings of the government are the same," Weir said. "You know, we all have a board. We all have to hold public meetings. We all have to have an approved budget. For us, our approved budget has to be ready and in place for June 1st, which starts the new fiscal year.”
Weir adds that candidates like herself are mostly retired, giving them the time during the day and in the evenings to devote to service to the community. Four people in Kinderhook are seeking two trustee seats.
Castleton-on-Hudson Mayor Joe Keegan declined to seek reelection. “I have been the mayor total of 10 years. So that was five terms. They were not sequential. So I did three terms and then took a break and or didn't win election. And then I have been back for two, but decided not to run again,” Keegan said.
Keegan agrees with Weir that village positions are part-time in name only. “Being mayor of the village is a part-time job, I also have a full time job. And I have found that really, to get anything done in the village requires lots of time. So that's emails, and calls, and working with staff and I’m the kind of person who really does want to get a lot done. And I think I have over 10 years, but it's a little bit exhausting. And I think it's time for some other people to take over. So that's why I'm not running again,” said Keegan.
Michael Silk is running unopposed. Silk and his family moved to Castleton-on-Hudson in 2019.
“I grew up in central Massachusetts," Silk said. "And my dad, when I was a kid, my brother and I were kids, he served as the building inspector in our town. He also was on the local planning board. We cleaned the town hall. And you know, he was the assistant little league coach. So there was a lot of public service. That was part of it was part of the family tradition. My wife's been a village trustee. They were working on a comprehensive plan, we've adopted a comprehensive plan. And it's a really good plan. And this is an opportunity to carry that plan forward and to bring other folks along, and have people get engaged. We have a small village, but we have a lot of people who want to help and who have talents and skills that can be helpful.”
Silk, who has outgoing Mayor Keegan's blessing, urges voters, regardless of what village they live in, to show up at the polls tomorrow. “I walked around on Saturday, visiting folks just to kind of remind them that, that there is an election on Tuesday and to encourage them to get out and to vote. I'm hoping for a good turnout, just so people exercise their right to vote, because it's not something to let lay fallow," said Silk.
Other mayoral candidates running Tuesday, all unopposed, include Anne Best in Galway, James Rubino in Colonie, Elisa Marin in East Nassau and Dean Brown in Corinth. Check your village website for more information. Most polls are open from noon until 9 p.m.
