Thursday, March 23, 2023

Who Wants to Serve on the Common Council?

Last night, Amber Harris, councilmember representing the Third Ward, released the following statement:
It has been not only a pleasure, but also an eye-opening learning experience to serve as Alder representing the City of Hudson's third ward. I want to thank all of my supporters and mentors that helped bring me this far. In order to allow time for another brave soul with a fresh set of eyes to step up and represent the third ward and the City as a whole, I am announcing that I will not be seeking a second full term this November.
Thank you all for entrusting me to serve in such an important capacity.
The process of getting signatures on designating petitions is now underway. According to the 2023 Political Calendar published by the Columbia County Board of Elections, the dates for filing the petitions are April 3 through 6. There is still time to get petitions signed, and the field appears to be wide open. 

In the First Ward, Margaret Morris is gathering signatures to run for reelection, but Art Frick, because of the boundary changes made to maintain wards of equal population, now lives in the Third Ward and cannot run again in the First Ward. 

In the Second Ward, it seems Dewan Sarowar, who was first elected in 2017, will be seeking reelection, but it is not known if Mohammed Rony, now serving his first term on the Council, will run again. Last week, the Register-Star reported that Kevron Lee intends to run in the Second Ward, with the support of "the HCHC Collective, the C4 arm of the Hudson-Catskill Housing Coalition." "C4 arm" presumably is a reference to a 501(c)4 organization

In the Third Ward, Amber Harris has announced she does not intend to run. Whether or not Ryan Wallace will run again has not been confirmed.

In the Fourth Ward, Malachi Walker, who is in his second term on the Council, has said several times in public meetings that he does not intend to run again. Gossips has heard that Theo Anthony, now serving his first term on the Council, may not be seeking a second term, but that has not been confirmed.

In the Fifth Ward, the word is that both current councilmembers, Dominic Merante and Vicky Daskaloudi, intend to seek reelection.

It appears there may be lots of open seats and lots of opportunities for anyone interested to serve the community.
COPYRIGHT 2023 CAROLE OSTERINK

5 comments:

  1. The cause of the exodus: COMMITTEE FATIGUE, no doubt. For $5,000, it's just not worth it -- unless you don't expect to accomplish anything.

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    1. This comment reflects precisely what’s wrong with some council members and surely some members of the community: a council seat isn’t a job and the pay isn’t reflective of the work to be done. It’s both a privilege and a community service to sit on the council. Those with “fatigue” — if anyone can be fatigued by doing nothing — are simply in the wrong position. Each member is their own boss — the president can’t make anyone do anything. The fact that nothing gets done at the council is because the members don’t do anything. Nothing. When I served for six years we produced over 12 new laws each designed to improve life in Hudson. These “alders” (PLEASE stop beating the language to death with tortured locutions like this!) lack all self motivation (and self respect) it seems. They show up, collect their pay and pat themselves on the back. Pathetic. Amber Harris isn’t running again? Oh no what will the 3W do?!? Shit — I’d forgotten she was a member. Did she ever do anything besides hold down her chair at meetings?

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  2. Why have a common council? Let Tom decide what Hudson is to be and become and we all just have to live with it. Nothing - NOTHING - in Hudson is ever going to change. Let the hipsters come in and flip houses so they can have AIRBnB's and make money with no real investment in Hudson. And no-one wants to be involved in the governance of the City, so Tom, Kamal et. al. run the place. Such a sad state of affairs.

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  3. I saw Tom and Kamal on the corner of 5th and Warren the other early evening, with clipboards and papers in hand, waiting for passers-by to cajole into voting for them in November, no doubt.

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  4. I just searched the main page of the city's website, as well as the Common Council's page and the How Do I? page. No mention of the openings on the Council. No call for residents to get involved in their community and government by becoming a ward representative. It's like they (Kamal and Tom, primarily) don't want people to be involved. Like they don't want a functioning government. The least they could do is make it easy for people to learn what the process of becoming an alder is. Alas, there is nothing. But there are 4 new videos on the main page attempting to show how wonderful Hudson is, especially Warren Street! They ought to help Kamal get reelected.

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