CLERMONT — Three candidates will be on the ballot Nov. 2 seeking two seats on the Clermont Town Council.
Candidates Susannah Bradley, Robert Desmond and Kris Gildersleeve were asked to complete a questionnaire on their candidacy. Their responses are presented in alphabetical order.
Name: Susannah Bradley
Age: 36
Family: Patrick Dougherty and our daughter (toddler age)
How long you have lived in the county: Three years (10-plus in the Hudson Valley)
Occupation: Marketing director
Are you an incumbent: No
Party line on ballot: Democrat
College: Bard College
What do you think is the top issue facing your community? What would you do to address this issue if elected?
Clermont, like many Hudson Valley towns, is growing and changing. Whether it’s new folks moving to our area, new developments and building, or climate change, our community is changing. As stewards of our community, it’s our responsibility to set the tone and plan of that change. I envision a welcoming town that grows responsibly with the input of all who live here. Increased transparency makes it easy to understand what is being proposed and how to weigh in. And passionate citizen-led communities mean we have access to free resources to nurture our community assets as well as mitigate and prepare for climate change.
Why do you think you will be a good trustee? What are you looking forward to accomplishing if elected?
I have 15 years of corporate experience leading teams, planning projects, managing budgets, and building consensus and community among diverse groups. I look forward to applying that experience toward improving transparency, bringing more people into town government, and tackling environmental projects, which will help us be more resilient and save the town money. There’s so much we can do at a local level when we work together for shared goals. I often find that national politics don’t have a lot to do with what’s happening at the local level. It’s more important to bring in multiple viewpoints from the whole community and create solutions building toward a shared vision.
Name: Robert Desmond
Age: 82
How long you have lived in the county: 48 years
Occupation: Retired from IBM
Are you an incumbent: Yes
Party line on ballot: Republican, Conservative
Military service: U.S. Army Security Agency, five years
What do you think is the top issue facing your community? What would you do to address this issue if elected?
Good fiscal management. No long-term debt.
Why do you think you will be a good trustee? What are you most proud of accomplishing if you hold office?
- Bi-partisan cooperation.
- Planned equipment purchases to avoid long term debt.
- Lowest town tax rate in Columbia County.
- Incremental improvements to town parks with minimal use of taxpayer funds.
Name: Kris Gildersleeve
Family: Married with four adult children.
How long you have lived in the county: Lifetime
Occupation: Information technology
Are you an incumbent: Yes
Party line on ballot: Republican, Conservative
College: B.A. in Computer Science and A.A.S. in Electrical Engineering Technology
Why do you think you will be a good trustee? What are you most proud of accomplishing if you hold office?
- Lowest town tax rate in Columbia County.
- Supporting and sustaining the rural and agricultural character of Clermont.
– By supporting and volunteering for town park improvements as we continue to add enhancements.
– By introducing legislative proposals, opening the conversations to the public and inviting the public into these conversations.
- Making fiscally responsible decisions that make sense.