Bartels unchallenged in District 16
Ulster County Legislator Tracey Bartels will coast unchallenged to a seventh nonconsecutive term to the Ulster County Legislature’s District 16 seat. A non-enrolled voter from Gardiner who aligns with Democrats, Bartels will hold the Democratic and Working Families lines on the ballot.
She said that, in the upcoming legislative term, the county will continue to face the ongoing challenge of delivering a balanced budget that holds the line on property taxes in the face of increasing mandates. She said that while the county property tax levy represents a small portion of the overall property tax levy, for many, resident property taxes remain a “serious burden.”
Bartels pointed to the recent creation of the county Department of Economic Development as one way the county is working to prioritize and redefine how the county can encourage economic development to attract and keep businesses with living-wage jobs in the region.
A freelance writer, mother and event planner, Bartels is a passionate environmentalist who said environmental protection and creating a green economy will also continue to be a top priority for her in the upcoming term. “We have led the way on initiatives from green fleet to plastics regulation and green energy installations to offset our carbon footprint — all while delivering stable or decreased tax levies,” Bartles said. “We cannot afford
not to act. A green economy will be good for business and the environment.”
Bartels said she also prioritizes the delivery of mental health services, criminal justice reform and tackling the opioid crisis. She said the county needs to look at alternative community-based approaches with proven effects and said she intends to work to develop a longterm solid waste management plan that will address the county’s need to find a solid waste disposal solution in the face of diminishing landfill capacity.
Bartels, 49, was first elected to the county Legislature
in 2007. She served two terms before being defeated in 2009. She was reelected in 2011.
The Ulster County Legislature’s District 16 comprises the town of Gardiner and a portion of the town of Shawangunk.
In January, Bartels was tapped to be the Legislature’s chairwoman.
An Ulster County resident for 24 years, Bartels holds a bachelor’s degree from New York University. She and her partner, Bill Richards, have an 8-yearold daughter.
Bartels will serve a new two-year term beginning Jan. 1 and will be limited to serving 12 years in the seat. However, the time she has already spent in office will not be counted toward the term limit.