I served on the Village Board of Trustees for a one-year interim term as an appointee during 2007-08, just before the collapse of the US financial and housing markets. Back then, the biggest item on our agenda was how to prioritize the $10 million in State funding for improvements to our local transportation systems. Though it was only three years ago, that seems a different economic era.
During my year on the Village Board, I sat next to Jean Gallucci. I already knew how exceptional Jean is. Before being elected village trustee, Jean had served as both our village clerk and treasurer for more than five years, somehow managing to excel at these two demanding full-time positions at once. As Jean’s colleague on the Board of Trustees, I learned that beyond having an exemplary work ethic and peerless institutional knowledge, Jean Gallucci is very smart, but humble, rigorously principled, but open-minded and
a pure pleasure to work with at all times.
As clerk/treasurer, trustee and deputy mayor, Jean Gallucci has been the fiscal backbone of our village for many years now. Jean Gallucci is keenly qualified to serve as our mayor. Like most progressive people who live here, I’m willing to put my wallet behind better schools, libraries, parks and public works. Let’s draft those plans -- and elect Jean -- to steady our village through these hard economic times, to keep us solvent and make us stronger, for that brighter tomorrow.
Regarding the village trustee race, the candidates’ demonstrable ability to work well with others -- especially those they’re in disagreement with -- has helped guide my vote. As we have seen here locally too many times, incendiary rhetoric hurts the political process. Willful acrimony kills it. Among the most formidably qualified trustee candidates running, I believe that Ariana Basco and Stewart Glenn are the most temperamentally suited to govern. Ariana Basco and Stewart Glenn will help comprise a strong, diverse,
capable, affable, approachable board of trustees around Jean Gallucci.
Finally, as someone who has served very briefly but chose not to endure the electoral process, I’d like to extend my gratitude and profound respect to every candidate running. You each make me proud to live here. We’re very lucky to have you.
Mark Portier
New Paltz
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