Dyer, Wyand seek Beekmantown supe seat

BEEKMANTOWN | The race for supervisor in the Town of Beekmantown is the only contested supervisor's race in Clinton County. Sam Dyer, the incumbent and a Democrat, is facing challenger Brent Wyand, a Republican. The Sun presented the same questions to both candidates. Responses are listed in alphabetical order. Election Day is Nov. 4. Sam Dyer Party Affiliation: Democrat Education: Graduate Beekmantown Central School, 1982. Occupation: Retired 40-year Dairy Farmer; owner, Shield's Vegetables, a third-generation vegetable market in business for 86 years; current town supervisor, Town of Beekmantown. Previous Government/Civic experience: Clinton County Farm Bureau; AgriMark Board of Directors; chairman, Clinton County Farm Service Agency; chairman, Clinton County Soil and Water; Cooperative Extension Board; 13 years served on Beekmantown town council; six years, Area 3 Clinton County Legislator; two years as chairman, Clinton County Legislature; five years served as supervisor, Town of Beekmantown. What is the most pressing challenge facing the Town of Beekmantown in the coming term? I think it's the most pressing challenge facing Beekmantown, and every town in this area, is one problem with many heads. It is taxation, assessments and it's education about how the system is set up, and it starts with New York State. We all have to pay our fair share and nobody complains about that. The state of New York has to back off mandates and limit how much assessments can move at one time. According to state policy, everybody's property assessment has to move at the same percentage to reach 98, 100 percent valuation. If my assessment moves 20 percent and someone else's moves 5 percent, we would have a problem. But we all shouldn't be penalized because a neighbor sells their house for $200,000 or $300,000 more than it is assessed for. My assessment shouldn't go up because of that, but that's what's happening. If you have 20 home sales in town, and we've got to get 98 to 100 percent assessed valuation, now we've gone from assessments to appraisals. There has to be a more detailed response to rising property valuation that doesn't push the sale of one big home against the whole community. We don't want seniors who have lived in the same house their whole lives to have to move out of their home. We as town supervisors, are required to work within predetermined tax caps that limit how much we can raise taxes, but the state seems to have found a loophole by raising assessments. As houses sell for higher and higher prices, everyone's assessment goes up. If a neighbor's house sells for 200 percent above the assessed value, that's the new benchmark assessment. There are many heads on the problem. You have town property tax, school tax and county taxes. The town is where the assessor is, though the highest taxes are paid to schools. They are all based on a town-level assessment. It all starts here at the town level. We are the ones that have to educate our property owners and not just throw numbers at them. How will you address it? I would like to see the state to put a cap on how much the assessments can move at one time. Other states already have laws that limit assessment increases. People would not approve any cap on what they could sell a house for. But when it comes to assessments, they'd say don't blame it on me. When the rules are being made, I want to be around and find what's best for all of us. It would be beneficial to have an education forum on assessments and get the Real Property Office involved, make the time to listen to property owners before the grievance period. Assessments come in at the end of April and the first of May. Grievance Days are held at the end of May. From now until February, education outreach should be done, where homeowners look on their assessment card and make sure what's there on the card is what is on the property. When the rules are being made, I want to find what's best for all of us. I know how the system works. I can start at the top and work the way down. I'm not having to find my way through the system. It's not about going to the bank and just getting a yes. It's finding grant funding for water projects; it's knowing what to do, where to go and how to get there and get it done. Brent Wyand Party affiliation: Republican Age: 37 Education: Graduate, Plattsburgh High School, 2005. Occupation: Owner operator, Wyand Marine LLC; manager, Mooney Bay Marina. Previous government/civil experience: Chairman, Beekmantown Zoning Board of Appeals, nine years. What is the most pressing issue facing the town in the coming term? I feel the most pressing issue facing the town in the coming term is two-fold, where we have an outdated zoning law that is restrictive to attracting businesses and residential development, coupled with the lack of infrastructure to support and encourage such growth. As chair of the ZBA (Zoning Board of Appeals) the past nine years, I have encountered countless issues where we as a board are forced to find solutions through creative measures to help applicants be able to achieve their goals of having a business in Beekmantown due in part to how restrictive the zoning law can be. As a lifelong resident, I have also been baffled by the lack of infrastructure done in a responsible way to not only be viable for the long term (the most recent water district is a prime example), but also to encourage more people to think about moving or building a home in this town in the present. How will you address it? The first thing would be to form a commission to review zoning law in the entirety of the way it is written instead of trying to solely focus on one issue. What is not common knowledge is the board does not just have the power to amend zoning law as it deems appropriate, and public opinion should be taken into account. I would ask a newly formed commission to bring forth recommendations to how we as a town can better attract business and residential development while preserving the quality of life that we as residents have come to enjoy. I would encourage all residents of the town to bring forth their opinion and concern about anything that is recommended so the most comprehensive and inclusive plan can be formed moving forward. I would also review any and all infrastructure projects that have been started or are being thought about and make sure that they are working for the best interest and viability for the entire town moving forward. For far too long infrastructure development has been mismanaged by the board leaving us with next to nothing or viability in the future for the money that has been spent. In closing, I am a lifetime resident of this town and a proud father of a new family whose only hope is raising my family in this incredible town and having it stay viable for years to come. The people of this town know just how special this area is and I personally feel the time has come for fresh ideas and new leadership that wants to work for the betterment of the town of Beekmantown as a whole instead of maintaining the status quo and or serving their own interests. I hope the residents of this town share my ideals and vote for a change this election cycle. The one thing I can promise is that, if I am elected, I will show up every day and work as hard as possible for the people of this town to make it as great as it can be.

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Dyer, Wyand seek Beekmantown supe seat

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