The race for a Ballston town board seat is heating up with Democrat Patti Southworth challenging current appointed Ballston town board member Mary Beth Hynes, a Republican, in the November election.
The special election for the seat was caused by the resignation of member Paul Farnan last winter.
When Farnan resigned his post, the all-Republican board asked the Republican Committee to recommend a candidate to fill it.
Both Southworth and Hynes applied for the position, interviewing in front of committee members, who recommended Hynes. The town board voted to appoint her at the January meeting.
I was disappointed that I wasn’t chosen for the position because I know I’m well qualified, Southworth said.
Southworth also went up against Farnan in the November 2005 election and lost by a margin of about 100 votes.
Both candidates said they hope to accomplish some of the same goals while in office, including improving communication between local governments and town residents.
Southworth, who is a regular at town meetings, said she has a desire to serve the town of Ballston and its residents.
`A lot of intelligent, well-spoken people have been sharing their ideas with me, and I truly want to be their representative,` she said, adding that the town is in a healing process right now after all the bad feelings that came out of the rezoning process and the ordeal with Wal-Mart. She said people need to refocus, reunite and work together to move the town forward.
If elected, Southworth said she will update the town’s Web site so it is more interactive and work to get meeting minutes and agendas online quicker. She also wants officials to consider videotaping and broadcasting local meetings.
Southworth said she wants to have solid economic development that is appropriate for the town so residents can have some relief from its tax burden.
`It’s my responsibility as a board member to find businesses that are appropriate for the town and explain to them why Ballston is the perfect place for their business,` she said.
Hynes has similar goals for the town, but she said what distinguishes her from Southworth is experience. Hynes has been working on local committees for four years. The current supervisor Ray Callanan asked Hynes to chair the Land Conservancy Committee when it was created, and she also helped create the town’s comprehensive plan.
`Patti has been to a lot of meetings, but I’m the one casting the votes,` she said.
Hynes said she likes living in Ballston because it is a genuine place. `I like that we have Burnt Hills CafE and not Starbucks, and I like that I can’t go anywhere in town without knowing someone,` she said.
Hynes said that the town is at a critical point right now with decisions to be made regarding development and conservation. `The decisions we make in the next few years are going to have a long-term impact on the town. I want to be a part of that decision-making,` she said.
Hynes, who is a former lawyer, said working for the town has been very rewarding. `As a lawyer you don’t see the value of your work for a long time; working for the town, someone will call up and, within a few phone calls, you can solve that problem. That’s rewarding to me,` she said.
Hynes agrees with Southworth that local government needs to do a better job communicating with residents. Hynes started the town’s newsletter that was distributed in June, and she said she expects it to go out again in September.
She said she also wants the town’s Web site to be updated.
Hynes said right now the most pressing issue to her is the conflict between growth and development and preserving the town’s character.
`I’m not shy about getting my point of view out there. Some will agree or disagree but everyone will know where I stand,` she said. “