TROY, N.Y. — Nine candidates are listed on the ballot for Rensselaer County Legislator District 2 ballot for residents.
They are Jack Rogers on the Democratic party line, incumbent Kelly C. Hoffman on the Republican and Conservative party lines, Brenda Hammond on the Troy Strong party line, Jennifer L. Massey on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines, incumbent Leon B. Fiacco on the Republican and Conservative party lines, Robert B. Poitras Jr. on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines, incumbent Thomas P. Grant on the Republican and Conservative party lines, Sally H. Lauletta on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines, and incumbent Robert W. Bayly on the Republican and Conservative party lines.
The Record invited the nine County Legislator candidates to participate in a Q&A. The following are the responses from Rogers and Poitras Jr. Hoffman, Hammond, Massey, Fiacco, Grant, Lauletta, and Bayly did not respond.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Rogers: “I am a graduate of Catholic Central High School, attended Hudson Valley Community College, and a veteran of the United States Air Force. I retired from the Troy Police Department after 29 years as a police officer in various roles, including union president and detective. I was previously a Deputy Sheriff with the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Department and a labor representative with the United Public Service Employees Union. I was elected to the North Greenbush Town Council for a four-year term starting in 2020.
“I have lived in Wynantskill since 1991 with my wife Maureen. I am the father of three, grandfather of seven, and great grandfather of one. I am a member of the American Legion Wynantskill Post 1489, Burden Lake Country Club, and St. Jude’s Knights of Columbus.”
Poitras: “I’m a county risk management consultant with thirty years of experience helping municipal governments protect their law enforcement, firefighters, and other employees and volunteers from workplace injury or death. I’ve done this work for more than a thousand of upstate New York’s towns, cities, villages, counties and special districts in my career. I hold a Masters degree in Public Administration from the SUNY Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and an economics degree from the University of Massachusetts. Originally from Plymouth Massachusetts, I live in East Greenbush with my wife. We have five children, two in high school and three who hold or are finishing their college degrees, all from the State University of New York.”
2. Why did you want to run for this position?
Rogers: “I decided to run for the Rensselaer County Legislature to balance the county legislature and have county government work for everyone.”
Poitras: “It’s my turn to give back to my community. I run a successful consulting business in which I see to the well-being of public servants and their families. I have studied government and always have had an interest in public policy. When I began exploring this idea, I asked five county executives what they thought of me running for legislature; all five were highly supportive, which struck me as odd because they’re all Republicans and I’m a lifelong (and proud) Boston Democrat. I asked one why he was so supportive given we were of different parties and he responded, “Bob, we don’t get enough talented people like you willing to run for office. I’d be thrilled to have you on my board.” That gave me the confidence and hope that a county government need not be hamstrung by partisanship.”
3. Why do you believe you’re the best candidate for this position?
Rogers: “I have a strong background in public safety and union negotiations. I will listen to the concerns of the residents of East Greenbush, North Greenbush, and Poestenkill and take action.”
Poitras: “Those who hold the seats now are partisans and automatic ‘yes’ votes for the county executive. A legislator’s job is to provide checks and balances so the residents can trust the county is spending their tax dollars wisely and services are provided at high levels of quality and efficiency. No yes man or woman is going to provide that check on our executive – and they don’t. Partisanship has become toxic in this country and yet it pervades our county government. Out of 24,000 registered voters, Democrats outnumber Republicans 8,000 to 6,000 in my district, and yet the three Republicans and a Conservative that hold the district’s four seats show open disdain for members of the opposite party. Too many people in my district are not having their values represented by those seats. I don’t hold such disrespect for those who don’t necessarily share my values.”
4. What do you think the biggest issues facing the community are right now?
Rogers: “Clean Water — Making sure everyone has safe and clean drinking water. Infrastructure —- Ground Water and Drainage throughout the county impacting the roads and bridges due to the storms in our area. Public Safety and Emergency Services — Make sure everyone has the availability of Emergency Services.”
Poitras: “Protecting the residents of Poestenkill from PFOAs is critical. Those who provide public safety services – fire departments, law enforcement, the county jail – need the county to provide them with the resources they need to do their job and yet the current administration has been slow to react to COVID and climate change, two major threats to our community. There are senior county employees who promote on social media anti-vax and anti-mask propaganda and yet the county leadership takes no steps to stop it. The county should not be taking half-measures to deal with the pandemic.”
5. What would you hope to achieve during your first 100 days in office?
Poitras: “Using my expertise in workers’ compensation for firefighters I would see that the county gets on the path of saving millions of dollars of the taxpayers’ money because a commonly used method of group purchasing – more than thirty upstate counties do it – has been quashed by parties of interest by using fright techniques to keep the money flowing into their pockets. On day one I’d re-open that project.
“After I am installed I will begin giving a hard look at county expenditures clearly meant to buy votes, whether that’s paving road surfaces (“paint it black they’ll vote you back”) or giving $1,000 bonuses to county employees weeks before an election.
Route 4 and other county roads are critical to economic growth and I will work to make sure those roads meet the demands of businesses and residents. We need the delays in those projects to end. Too many people are spending too much time in daily traffic jams.
Finally, I will change the sentiment in our rural communities characterized by a phrase I’ve often heard when residents discuss the county’s lacking involvement: “I guess we’re on our own.” This applies to broadband, or ambulance services, or PFOAs, or the Dunn landfill. The current county legislators, when they do show up to public meetings (they often don’t), literally sit in the back rows in the room while residents are demanding answers they should be providing. I find this unacceptable. In my first hundred days I will change the perception that if the issue falls under state or local jurisdiction the legislators either won’t show up or when they do they will say, “Our hands are tied.” It’s time the residents of the district have stronger advocates representing them on the county legislature.”
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October 24, 2021 at 02:00AM
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