The race for Tuxedo supervisor

Peter Dolan, Democrat Biographical information: Personal: Wife Alison, married 17 years, two daughters, 4 and 6. Resident since 1995. Graduate of Ramapo College. Small business owner; also have worked since 1992 specializing in wine sales and consultation. Civic: Chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals; ZBA member since 2001. Candidate statement: I believe Tuxedo needs a set of fresh eyes and approaches to the problems we face. My experience in municipal planning underscored my desire to protect Tuxedo from the sprawl that plagues surrounding municipalities. Development has been a major issue in Tuxedo for many years. Now that we know the Tuxedo Reserve development will happen, it is imperative that all the safeguards be strictly enforced. I favor the purchase of the property by the state and federal governments to add to Sterling Forest State Park. I don’t support the present plan for a major recreation facility at the Power House. But, as the recent Chamber of Commerce survey indicated, recreation is a concern for many. We will make improvements to existing facilities and develop an overall recreation plan. I have heard the residents regarding SOS Fuel’s request to install a 30,000-gallon liquid propane tank on East Village Road. As ZBA chairman, I am bound to confidentiality. I am aware of the potential danger to residents, travel corridors, businesses and the Ramapo River. I oppose Columbia Gas’s plan to install a 30-inch pipeline through Laurel Ridge and other parts of our community. We support the path closest to Long Meadow and Warwick Brook Roads, as discussed by the Northern Tuxedo Residents Association and the Palisades Park Commission. We also would urge the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to keep the pipeline at 8-10 inches. We will bring the town into the 21st Century with a functioning, useful Web site with current building, zoning and regulatory information and the ability to download permits. We understand the vital role our local ambulance and paramedic staff plays in our community. As Tuxedo grows, we will continually work with our police, fire, and volunteer ambulance departments to maintain their high level of service. William E. Lemanski, Republican Biographical information: Personal: Tuxedo resident for 24 years. Married, two children, two grandchildren. Age 58 years. U.S. Army service - two-tour Vietnam Veteran. Attended Fairleigh Dickinson University, SUNY, Institute for Nuclear Power Operations, Certificate in Database Management NYU. Held numerous engineering and management positions in the electric power industry, spanning 35 years. Retired, Entergy Nuclear Operating Company and New York Power Authority. Civic activities: Two-term Tuxedo Town Councilman. Police Commissioner. Former volunteer firefighter. Former member of an energy sub-committee of the Orange County Citizens Foundation. Candidate statement: The challenges facing the Town of Tuxedo are extraordinary for a town our size. Development plans are in place to double the size of the population, which previously was a stable, rural community for 100 years. Business and industrial tax ratables have been diminishing. The education system faces an uncertain future. Problems range from correcting the illogical fragmentation of the communities and multi-school districts to improving our First Aid Squad membership and finances. This is not the time to employ a part-time novice overseeing Tuxedo’s future. These are precisely the reasons why I am the most suitable candidate for leading Tuxedo as supervisor. With a background as a two-term councilman who was intimately involved in drafting the Tuxedo Reserve Special Permit, chairman of the committee overhauling the Town Code, a former engineering executive with many years of leadership experience in a high-risk, technical industry, I am clearly the most qualified, experienced and capable. Working as a full-time supervisor, a role that traditionally has been a part-time activity, will enable me to focus exclusively on the oversight of large developments, improving the languid business community and professionally addressing the myriad daily town hall issues. Now is the time to transition the management of the Tuxedo Town government into a much-needed, knowledge-based, professional and dedicated full-time activity. We must maintain Tuxedo’s small-town rural ambience and unique forest environment while managing the challenges of large-scale development and needed tax revenue growth. To succeed we must move forward and manage with the skilled and experienced leadership that I will provide.