MIDDLETOWN -There is a contested race for the position of Middletown supervisor in November’s general election. Glen Faulkner appears on the Democratic and Independent “Community Collaboration” lines and Hiram Davis appears on the Republican and Conservatives lines.
To provide voters with information about candidates, The Reporter asked the following questions and candidates supplied the following answers:
O: Why are you running for the position?
As a lifelong resident, I have a great appreciation for our town and a desire to see the region continue to grow and prosper. I am dedicated to community service and believe that successful communities are dependent upon proactive relationships between its residents, businesses, and local government.
Middletown residents have voiced concern about the lack of representation for Middletown on the County Board of Supervisors, which has hindered opportunities for Middletown to work with other towns or take advantage of county-wide initiatives. I aim to promote and foster proactive community engagement and bring a strong leadership background critical in positioning the town to take advantage of new federal and state funding opportunities going forward. Through my experiences as general manager of the Margaretville Telephone Company, along with my participation on various boards including the Mark Project, Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, Middletown-Hardenburgh Fire District, and volunteer work with numerous community-based organizations, I have a good sense of the challenges and opportunities facing our community. I am eager to utilize this knowledge and continue my community service as supervisor for the residents of the town of Middletown.
O: What are your top three priorities as supervisor?
I am running on both the Democratic and Independent party lines. The name chosen for the Independent Party Line is Communication, Collaboration, and Community, which represent my vision as supervisor. I will work hard to improve the lines of communication between the various town departments, town personnel, town supervisor, with the county board of supervisors, and most importantly, with the public. I will advocate for workshop meetings as necessary to foster additional discussion time on the relevant topics and expand the role of committees to gather information and seek community feedback. Greater communication is key to effective governance, employee engagement, and transparency with the public.
Secondly, I will promote a greater collaborative working relationship with the various stakeholders including with the village leadership, business community, not-for-profit organizations, healthcare providers, neighboring municipalities, and county agencies. In many regards, Middletown is the commercial hub of the region and the gateway to the central Catskills. Developing strong, collaborative working relationships with these community stakeholders will provide opportunities to share information, leverage resources, and work to address the common challenges. I have built collaborative working relationships with many of these organizations in my professional and volunteer career and hope to continue this work as the town supervisor.
Another priority is a strong commitment to community building. By increasing the level of communication and collaboration with our community stakeholders, we can create a productive planning process to best position Middletown for the future. Municipalities which have completed a planning process by identifying needs and opportunities, and then present a focused action plan are in the best position to take advantage of new grant funding opportunities. I look forward to updating Middletown’s Comprehensive Plan and prioritize projects which maximize funding opportunities which support infrastructure improvements (ie: municipal water systems, building repairs, upgrades to transfer station, community resiliency projects, etc.), and community revitalization initiatives to attract new business, enhance local healthcare, create housing, and programs which enhance the socio-economic vibrancy of our community.
O: How do you propose to contain spiraling budgets and spending?
Managing expenses and balancing budgets in today’s economic times is a challenge for households, businesses, and local governments alike. Higher operating costs, new regulations, workforce shortages, wage pressures, etc. all contribute into the decision-making process. It will remain a delicate balance to maintain essential services at the level which we have grown accustomed to, attract and retain a skilled workforce, and continue infrastructure investments, all while trying to keep property taxes at a minimum. My approach to these budgeting challenges starts with the planning process which is necessary to take maximum advantage of the numerous federal and state grant funding opportunities to offset costs for specific community infrastructure needs going forward. Whether we agree or not with grant funding for public project investments, it is a fact there is a lot of funding already in the federal and state pipelines and municipalities which have the proper planning in place will benefit most. Establishing reserve capital accounts as part of the budgeting process will assist in the planning process and allocate funding for critical infrastructure investments anticipated in the future. In addition, collaboration and sharing of resources with our neighboring communities and villages is another means to offset future expense increases.
O: When the county proposes action that your town constituents oppose, how will you vote at the county level and why?
Town supervisors’ role at the county board of supervisors level is to represent the interests of the constituents in their respective Township. I would vote for the desire and best interests of the residents of the town of Middletown. The weighted vote structure in place for each municipality based upon each township’s population ensures fair representation across the county. I am hopeful that through respectful debate and compromise, that the county board of supervisors will make decisions which are mutually beneficial for the residents throughout the county and most importantly for the residents and businesses within their respective townships.
Q: Why should voters vote for you?
I am an optimist by nature. I offer a new approach to town leadership based upon the principles of open communication, collaboration, and proactive community planning. I believe that my experience as a business leader in a highly regulated and customer-service focused industry, along with my service on various community organizations offers me a well-rounded insight into the challenges and opportunities facing our community. I am a good listener, skilled at building strong working relationships, experienced at problem solving and disaster recovery, and have a genuine care for the community.
The supervisor’s seat is on the ballot in the Nov. 7 election. Early voting begins Oct. 28.
Hiram Davis did not respond to numerous emails, telephone and other messages requesting his participation in answering these questions.
