Meet the Candidates: Ballston

Supervisor: Eric Connolly

Platform: To bring transparency, intelligent growth, and Farmland protection to the Town of Ballston

The most pressing issue that our Town faces is growth. By no means am I anti development, but the way our current zoning is written allows for unchecked growth that will permanently change our Town. Nothing against our neighbors to the south, but we (according to our resident-created comprehensive plan) do not wish to become Clifton Park. We don’t want our Hamlets to lose their sense of identity and we most assuredly don’t want development to rob us of our beautiful farmland. We will rewrite our zoning to align it with our comprehensive plan.

Supervisor: Timothy Szczepaniak
Candidates did not respond.

Council Member: Peter Solberg

Eric Connolly, Chuck Curtiss, and I have been involved in and advocate for resident issues that haven’t gotten the attention deserved.    Our primary platform issue is the rate of development within our township.   We have a flawed zoning proposal that is proposed for a town board vote shortly that is a result of countless hours of resident, town, and planning efforts.   Much of the input provided from the community was ignored although at the surface looks positive.   We want to direct the type of development in our community to be in alignment with the Comprehensive Plan and to bring a lengthened financial prosperity to our residents.   We are looking to continue to support the environmental challenges in our watershed using traditional and non-traditional methods.   We want to maintain a healthy fund balance while promoting public works efforts such as sidewalks, lighting, and maintaining existing town resources such as the library, highway, and water, and emergency services.    To keep a proper alignment with the community direction, it is important to build a stronger transparency in how the town operates and making information available to residents.   

 The most pressing issue within our township is the sprawl of development that is contrary to the Comprehensive Plan.   The residents of our community have been actively involved in contributing to the vision of the town and vocal on development efforts that are contrary to the vision.   We need reflective zoning and an effective advisory committee that considers the Comprehensive Plan and resident input to be pinnacle to the resulting development efforts.   Additionally, a focus on preservation of identity in our community.  That being a historic and community-based north and south hamlet, lake preservation, and open space enjoyment.   Eric, Chuck, and I will be working diligently to gain consensus from the community to enact a zoning proposal that tames the contrary development efforts while providing support and prosperity to our residents.

Council Member: Charles Curtis
Candidate did not respond.

Council Member: William Goslin
Candidate did not respond.