RUNNING AGAIN
Ballston GOP incumbents Szczepaniak and Goslin announce re-election bids
Ballston Town Supervisor Timothy Szczepaniak and Town Councilman William Goslin are both running for re-election to the Town of Ballston Town Board in November.
As well, both having been members of the council, they met originally as backyard neighbors ten years ago.
Although Szczepaniak has relocated a short distance down the road, he and Goslin have maintained a collaborative ease in working together on the Town of Ballston Town Board for several years.
Szczepaniak is in his twelfth year on the Town Board, including two fouryear terms as a town councilman and four years as town supervisor. Goslin has represented Town of Ballston residents since 2011 and would like to continue that service for an additional and final term. Both are Republican.
Other than political office, Szczepaniak served as a police officer in Bennington, Vermont, for 7 years and has been employed for a combined total of 31 years at both Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory in Niskayuna and currently at Navy Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) in Niskayuna as Principal Project Analyst.
Goslin has 30 years in telecommunications and worked at the expert level. He has earned an AAS in Electrical Technology from Hudson Valley Community
College. He was the 2010 recipient of the National Jefferson Award for volunteer service. He has volunteered as a fireman, served with Hands On New Orleans, and for Pyramid Life Center.
As the Republican primary on June 25 draws closer and the election for the Town of Ballston Town Supervisor and two seats for town board looms on the horizon in November, the following conversation with Szczepaniak and Goslin reflects on each candidate’s background, their accomplishments in office, and both of their positions on what they consider the important issues the Town faces.
Szczepaniak: “Before I was elected supervisor, I was a Town Councilman for two four-year terms, and this is my fourth year as town supervisor. Every other year a supervisor has to campaign again, so overall I am the endorsed, experienced candidate for town supervisor.
“I work in the best interests of the residents - providing all the services required and desired by town residents. We have a long list of accomplishments. Some of the main things are no town tax, and no highway tax. We’re one of 21 towns within the county, the others being Wilton and Clifton Park, without those taxes. We’re proud of that record.
“Under my watch, I’m not interested in creating either one of those taxes. The other thing is I straightened out the books. The finances needed a lot of work from the previous supervisor, Patty Southworth. I hired a financial administrator, Jeanette Borthwick, who assisted in getting the town finances in really good fiscal shape. We have the top municipal rating.
“We’re proud of a healthy fund balance of 2.5 million not every township can say that.
“We purchased two town parks without taxpayer funds. We have a 250acre park that was donated to the Town. The former Hawkwood property, located at the corner of Route 50 and Middleline Road is now a passive recreational park called Anchor Diamond Park, that features trail systems, scout projects enhanced the bridges, and there’s a kiosk now.”
Goslin: “It’s on the site of an old mansion built around the time of those in Saratoga Springs. It’s since burned down, but it’s very historic in that respect in that the mansion is still there. It has beautiful streams running through the property, great trails and is right in the center of town at Route 50 and Middleline Road.
“The other park we worked hard to acquire is Fireman’s Grove. The town recently purchased Fireman’s Grove in Ballston Lake for a town park. It’s a 12-acre parcel that we worked closely with the Ballston Lake Fire Department on. When we tried a few years back, they weren’t interested.
“They came back and said ‘There’s enough support. Why don’t we talk?’ This is across the street from Carney’s Tavern on Rt. 146. We paid $145,000 without one dime of taxpayer’s money spent. The funds came from the Parks and Recreation account.
“Anytime a developer gets a Certificate of Occupancy granted by the Building Department, a thousand dollars goes into that account. So we have a healthy balance in the Parks and Recreation fund.
“We wrote a check and signed it. The town replaced the old pavilion with a new one built by the Amish for $31,000.
“We had a contractor come in and put a concrete floor to create a great venue for people’s picnics, and community events.”
Goslin: “There’s a lot of tradition there. Our community needs those gathering spaces to continue those traditions and to build new ones. At a recent meeting, I said how great it will be when the new Hannaford goes in. Isn’t it nice to meet your neighbor when you’re shopping, for example? Now everyone goes in different directions. I’m really excited about it.
Please tell the readers about those beige apartments along Route 50 set back going north before Brookline Road.
Goslin: “That’s state subsidized housing that they’re putting in our town. I want to be correct here. People want low-income housing within our town. It’s not driven by the Town Board, but there are people who want that kind of housing. The key is making it work.
“We are very, very, very concerned about the opioid crisis and the things that are happening in communities across the country. We want to make sure we’re providing an environment where people can grow up and be successful. This is a problem presenting itself nationally, and we’re addressing it.
“We’re excited that the Saratoga County Sheriff has hired new deputies that we hope will be locating in town. We want residents to feel safe.”
Please, clarify-to put what in Town?
Goslin: “The Burnt Hills Fire Department built a new firehouse across from Town Hall but their old firehouse on the corner of Charlton Road and Scotchbush Road might be repurposed for a sheriff’s substation.
It’s important to understand Tim’s commitment to public safety. He’s on the Public Safety Committee for the county, and it’s important as the Town Board and government to provide that kind of protection. Tim is very big in the volunteer community - the ambulance and the fire companies. You need to support those because in the end, the residents are looking for basic services from the town which are that their kids and families are safe, the roads are plowed, they want an ambulance and fire truck to come. Ours are volunteer and you know they struggle.
“You need to support them. That’s why we’re happy we have a firehouse, Charlton has a firehouse, and the Burnt Hills firehouse will have their grand opening in the spring.”
Szczepaniak: “Let’s go back to Fireman’s Grove and what we envision there. I’m really big on farmer’s markets. The Farmland Protection Committee has been struggling to implement that. So I have all the information to start up a farmer’s market. It’s going to take a bit of coordination, but I envision 10-15 farmers like we had at the old Burnt Hills Plaza where Grand Union used to be. That business owner has offered to have a farmer’s market right there.…
That has been on and off for years, hasn’t it?
Szczepaniak: “It’s been a struggle…”
Goslin: “A little bit of politics, who will run it, finding a permanent home. It has to be independent. The town doesn’t have the resources to run a farmer’s market. It’s been a core group of people who can succeed at that. There’s been turnover among the people who run the farmer’s market.”
Szczepaniak: “I envision getting that farmer’s market into Fireman’s Grove on Thursdays, Fridays, or Saturdays similar to what former Mayor Romano had at Wiswall Park in the Village of Ballston on Thursday nights.”
The Flag Day Parade has become a big event.
Szczepaniak: “Everybody comes out for it.”
Goslin: “We’re seeing a strong return of the generations to Burnt Hills. Almost all the families coming in are here for the culture of parents, the school and the community all working together. It’s amazing. The school is doing phenomenal things with those kids.
“Things like saving, handling money, interpersonal relationships, now active shooter defense training are taught as “Life Skills.”
Szczepaniak: “I went to Southern Vermont College; criminal justice is near and dear to my heart.”
Goslin: “Putting a trained SRO in the school to protect and deter an active shooter is as important as creating a relationship with the students and faculty. The town is not involved with that. It’s a shared cost arrangement between the county and the school district.”
Goslin: “On over-development, we’re working hard to stop it in our town and to preserve our rural character. We’ve proposed new zoning that eliminates planned unit developments except for business districts, eliminates three-story buildings in Burnt Hills and creates a new rural business zone on Route 50.
“This year we would like to permanently ban the large ugly apartment buildings being built in our town. We don’t need any more apartments. Our theme has been “There’s more work to do” on curbing over-development.”
Why aren’t apartments needed?
Goslin: “There have been about 1,500 units built in the last two or three years. We don’t have the infrastructure, and it’s ruining the rural character. The charm of Burnt Hills is being able to go to a 250-acre park. We need a balance.”
Szczepaniak: “I’m sure our opposition talked about sewers. I want to give the Reader’s Digest version of what’s happening there. Bill’s (Goslin) been on the Sewer Committee leading the charge. I’ll give you the high-level view.
“For the first time ever, we have the largest project to protect our gem, Ballston Lake. The Department of Environmental Conservation declared it an impaired body of water. A referendum was put out to protect our lake, and it passed unanimously to get sewers around the lake.
“While we were doing the engineering piece of the sewer project, our consultant Nan Solsenberg recommended to the Town Board that the Hamlet could use a sewer system, so while you’re looking at the Lake loop, why don’t you take a close look at the Hamlet to see if you could tie into the Lake loop? It made sense; it’s a one time opportunity.”
Goslin: “From Carney’s, up Kingsley Road to Route 50.”
Szczepaniak: “The Town Board did our due diligence. We could have said, ‘We’re going to implement this sewer project and the taxpayers can suffer the consequences.’ That’s not what we’re about. We’re about democracy and listening to the voice of the people. Bill and his team has several workshops, even at the high school on it and worked diligently to be transparent.
“Personally, I slept well at night for doing that. It was the right thing to do. They voted it down 4-1. The residents have spoken, so now we’re continuing on the Lake project itself.”
Goslin: “It’s value versus cost. Do you value the sewers enough to pay for them? The people around the lake voted in favor of it. We put it out to the people and we’ll do what they want. We have been proactive in dealing with the Lake. If you don’t, the DEC will come in with a court order and you’re mandated to do it in a certain time frame.
“They tell you what to do, not how. We have to hire engineers, mitigate and figure it out.
“If there are people who find the cost of sewers burdensome, we would find ways to raise money to support those people.”
Do the residents know that?
Goslin: “Yes. There are people who have raised $20-$30,000 for breast cancer events; many are affluent and would help their neighbor.”
Szczepaniak: “We renegotiated the seven-year contract with Glenville for water eliminated the $180,000 check annually to them. We maintain good relations to our neighboring towns.”
Goslin: “We share services.”
Szczepaniak: “It makes total sense.”