AMHERST, N.Y. (WKBW) — As the election season heats up, the race to succeed Amherst Town Supervisor Brian Kulpa, who is stepping down, is drawing attention.
Two Republican candidates, Dan Gagliardo and Dennis Hoban, are vying for their party's nomination in the upcoming primary on June 24.
WATCH: Meet the Republican candidates in the Amherst Town Supervisor race ahead of GOP Primar
The winner will move on to face Deputy Supervisor Shawn Lavin in the general election.
In separate interviews, I asked both GOP candidates to weigh in on pressing issues within the town, including the recent property tax hike and the redevelopment of the former Westwood Country Club site.
Gagliardo expressed his motivation for running, citing his educational background and work experience.
"I think that my educational and my work history throughout my life has brought me here today, and I think I can make a difference in how we run government," he said.
Hoban, on the other hand, voiced his dissatisfaction with recent fiscal decisions, particularly following an 11.4% tax increase.
"After they raised our taxes up 11.4%, I got pretty disgusted with what was going on," Hoban said.
He added that he became motivated to attend town meetings upon witnessing what he characterized as foolish spending.
Both candidates addressed the implications of the tax increase.
Hoban criticized the current administration for purchasing properties and using eminent domain.
"Almost everything they've done is wrong," he said. "They've been taking properties off the tax rolls, which in turn takes money out of the coffers. We need to find ways to get these properties back on the tax rolls."
Gagliardo proposed a proactive approach to fiscal responsibility, emphasizing transparency and efficiency.
"Having the residents find out about an 11.4% tax increase two days after an election is not how you do it," he said.
Gagliardo advocated for budget reevaluations to enable tax rebates, suggesting a goal of reducing taxes by 5%.
The future of the abandoned Westwood Country Club site also emerged as a focal point in the dialogue.
Gagliardo emphasized the importance of maintaining local control.
"I don't believe we should give up home rule," he said. "We have a responsibility to see if any private person or company wants to come in and help put it back on the tax rolls."
Hoban shared his vision for the site, proposing a multi-faceted approach that includes an 18-hole golf course and a program to teach children the sport.
"I would like to see an 18-hole golf course," he said. "But I also have a plan where we could have a kids' golf program, and we could teach kids how to golf. I think that would be spectacular."
Here is a transcript of some of the other topics I discussed with both candidates.
Russo: The Boulevard Mall property, what would you do to move that project forward?
Gagliardo: "I don't think this current town board and the supervisor understood what eminent domain was gonna cost, and that's why all this is happening. Doug Jemal was approached by Brian Kulpa. Doug Jemal didn't call Brian Kulpa. It was the other way around. So, we have to work with these developers. There's not many developers like Doug Jemal out there now, even though he's having difficult times, most developers are. We gotta work with them. We have to see what his plan is. We have to understand, and this is what a Supervisor needs to do. This is consensus building. We have to figure out what they want. We have to get the residents involved."
Hoban: "You've got two developers that apparently bought the mall, and I don't think they get along. That's my take on it. I don't think they should have taken the Penny's (JCPenney) by eminent domain. I think that was probably a mistake, and that's probably why that is not going through any longer. If you can get these two parties talking and come up with some kind of plan, a viable plan that's good for Amherst and good for both developers, you can move forward. You have to have communication."
Russo: What's the platform for your campaign?
Hoban: "The easiest way to describe that would be basically to do the opposite of what this one-party board has done. They've got us into incredible debt at a time when interest rates are highest, they've been out buying properties from all these developers. There is a reason why the developers aren't developing because interest rates are so high, and construction costs are so high. And this board has been going out and buying property and borrowing the money. It's not surplus money; they are borrowing the money at the highest interest rates, and they want to build things at the highest construction costs. I wouldn't do any of that. I would try and reverse what they've done."
Gagliardo: "Simple, five things: fiscal responsibility, transparency, public safety, essential services, smart and thoughtful development, and respect. I want the people of Amherst to have respect. I went back and looked at these town halls. People don't get treated with respect. And if you respected the people, and I'll use Westwood as an example, they've been talking to each other, the county, and the town, for a year, they never contacted the Fairways group, they never talked to the residents. If you respect people, you get them involved. They have not done that."
