Town of Johnstown election offers four choices for two open board seats

PHOTOGRAPHER: Bethany Bump

There are five races in the town of Johnstown in the upcoming election, with four candidates vying for two seats on the Town Board.

Daryl Baldwin

OFFICE SOUGHT: Johnstown Town Board

AGE: 58

BALLOT LINE: Republican

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: Studied restaurant management at SUNY Cobleskill; self-employed with Balloon Extravaganzas

Albert Hayes Sr.

OFFICE SOUGHT: Johnstown Town Board

AGE: 58

BALLOT LINE: Democrat

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: Johnstown High School; retired foreman for Hudson River Black River Regulating District

PERSONAL: Two children

Beth Schloicka

OFFICE SOUGHT: Johnstown Town Board

BALLOT LINE: Republican

John Zawadzki

OFFICE SOUGHT: Johnstown Town Board

AGE: 56

BALLOT LINE: Democrat

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: Bachelor’s degree from Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn; graduate degree in biophysics from SUNY Downstate Medical Center; self-employed medical communications consultant and writer

PERSONAL: Wife and a dog

Democrats Albert Hayes Sr. and John Zawadzki are running against Republicans Daryl Baldwin and Beth Schloicka for four-year terms on the board.

Independent newcomer Tamara Healy is running unopposed for the Town Board seat formerly held by Jack Wilson, who is now town supervisor. If elected, she will serve the remaining two years of Wilson’s term.

Daryl Baldwin

As a self-employed master certified balloon artist, Baldwin has a lot of time on his hands. But he doesn’t use it idly.

Baldwin, who is running on the Republican line for a Town Board seat, said he spends hours reading and investigating many issues at the local and state level. He read 208 pages of proposed regulations for zoning changes in the town of Johnstown as soon as they came out, he said.

“I’ve been a political junkie my whole life, and I follow this so much that I thought, why waste the information and knowledge that I have,” he said.

As a champion of transparency in government, Baldwin said the first thing he would do as a Town Board member is create a website where each Town Board issue can be posted, people could provide input and surveys and links to relevant media organizations could be listed.

The issue of land is a pertinent one for the town , he said. Proposed zoning changes would allow agricultural land to be used for manufacturing, he said, and some people are against that because they are afraid they will lose the right to farm their own land. But if the land were rezoned, he said businesses might want to move in, better positioning Fulton County as a prime region for economic development and growth.

Whether their fears are legitimate, Baldwin said, people have a right to express their concerns to the board, and he said that’s not something he sees enough of.

“When you are elected to the board, you’re like a miniature judge,” he said, “and I just want to be for the people’s rights within the law. If I’m going to judge someone, it’s going to be from a citizen’s perspective. Keep government out of the way, and it allows for economic expansion.”

Albert Hayes

Hayes served as Fulton County Democratic Committee chairman for 17 years. He also ran for a position on the Town Board in the 1980s, but lost to a Republican.

Most recently, Hayes served as foreman for the Hudson River Black River Regulating District, where he worked for 21 years. Before that, he did highway maintenance work for the state Department of Transportation. He’s ready now to run again because he recently retired from the regulating district, and he said to do the job well, a board member needs to treat it like a full-time position.

“I’ve got more time to spend going around town, talking to people, improving anything that needs to be improved,” Hayes said. “I will be there for the people.”

Hayes said that as a board member he would always be open to suggestions from district residents. He hesitated to identify any major issues he would work on if elected because he wants to first be chosen to represent the town.

“I’d have to get in there, get elected, and listen to what the people need and what they want accomplished,” he said. “There’s always room for improvement. There are a lot of things that can be improved. You’ve got to be at these meetings and listen to what the people say, what they want. That’s what the council and supervisors are in government for.”

John Zawadzki

Town Board meetings don’t provide enough interaction and are often one-sided, says Zawadzki, a Democrat, but that’s just one of the reasons the political newcomer said he wants to gain a seat on the board.

“I think I am in a better position to make a contribution to my community,” he said. “I’ve lived here for 15 years with my wife, and I’ve gotten to know the community and its people, so now is a good time for me. I really care about our community, and I want to help improve the quality of life for the people within the town.”

With a background and education in science, pharmacology and biophysics, Zawadzki believes he has the critical thinking skills that residents really need from their local board members. He currently works in medical marketing communications, so his ability to communicate is a perfect complement to the position he is campaigning for, he said.

“I genuinely, really care, and I think that’s what’s needed on the town council,” he said. “I don’t really get a sense now that people care. I think they just sort of rule from the top down. I’m a good problem solver, but most importantly, I’m a team player, so I think regardless of whatever people’s parties are, I can be objective and really look at the big picture, but also have a better sense of what the community feels because I go out there and I talk to people.”

There are several issues Zawadzki said he wants to work on if elected. Consolidation and elimination of government redundancies is necessary in these economic times, he said, so when he gets into office, the first thing he would do is propose an immediate review of all town departments and services.

In addition, he wants to eliminate what he feels is a disconnect between residents and the board.

There is no website that residents can access to view meeting minutes or agendas, so he said he would work to provide more openness as to what goes on at meetings.

As he continues a grass-roots campaign, Zawadzki said he wants residents to know that he has the skills and experience to address problems and find solutions.

“I think our town government needs to anticipate problems and challenges, and most of all, it’s got to listen to its residents and the concerns of its residents,” he said, “and that’s one of the things I can offer.”

Beth Schloicka

Incumbent Beth Schloicka could not be reached for this story. She is seeking re-election to a second four-year term as councilwoman and has worked on proposed zoning changes within the town.