Cashman announces final re-election campaign

Mar. 21—PLATTSBURGH — Town of Plattsburgh Supervisor Michael Cashman will be seeking his third and final four-year term this fall.

Cashman, who was first elected supervisor in 2015, and then again in 2019, announced his intent to run for re-election this year in a video posted to his social media pages Monday.

"It has been an honor and a privilege to represent you as the Plattsburgh Town Supervisor these last four years," he said in the announcement.

"Together, we continue to create the town we want and deserve, which is a great place to live, work, play and invest in."

THREE TERMS

He continued on to say that his focus will "be on seeing that the town leads the North Country with infrastructure investments, (while) focused on health, safety, sustainability and economic development."

The full video of his announcement can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd-A4Yit7F0.

Cashman told the Press-Republican Tuesday that this will be his last time running for Town of Plattsburgh supervisor.

"I've been very transparent, at the beginning of this journey, that I would only seek three terms as town supervisor," he said.

"I, personally, believe that term limits are a good thing at all levels of government, and while the town does not have term limits, I am seeking to role-model that."

BROAD SPECTRUM

When asked if that meant he would eventually be seeking higher office, Cashman said "I'm not thinking about any priority other than the town supervisor role."

Cashman acknowledged the continued work he still has left to do for the town.

"From a larger landscape, we know that many people are facing challenges such as workforce, housing, childcare, there's a broad spectrum of things," he said.

"Additionally, the cost of living has gone up in many ways, but the Town has balanced that by being fiscally responsible, by remaining under the New York state tax cap. So that's how we and local government can assure that we are there for residents and taxpayers. But, I think we also need to be positioned to partner both with the private and public sectors to activate new opportunities that will balance the health of our community."

PROJECTS IN WORKS

Beyond the current challenges, though, Cashman also noted that several exciting projects, like the Battlefield Memorial Gateway, are on the horizon for the Town of Plattsburgh's future.

The hope is that it will be completed by 2026 — the 250th anniversary of the United States.

"Those bid documents have gone out and come back," Cashman said, adding that there will be announcements on that project in the coming weeks.

"That project is advancing toward the construction phase and, you know, that has been a partnership with the Clinton County American Legion group. Veteran affairs are very near and dear to my heart because of family and friends. So I'm looking forward to seeing that project take full root in the coming months."

LISTENING, LEARNING, LEADING

Now, looking ahead to his final supervisor campaign this year, Cashman said he plans to be fully engaged with his constituents throughout it.

"My motivation continues to be a model of listening, learning and leading on behalf of my constituents. I will be out once again, knocking on doors, meeting with constituencies across the township as I've continued to do while serving in active office, and I look forward to hearing from the people directly that I'm there to serve," he said.

"It's not just about me having ideas, it's about activating things in a way that makes the Town of Plattsburgh and the greater Plattsburgh region, a better place to live, work and play and invest because of engaging those individuals."

The Press-Republican reached out to Town of Plattsburgh Republican Party Chair, Tom Metz, to ask if there would be a Republican opponent in this year's supervisor race, but Metz did not respond by press time.

"If there is or isn't, I'm focused on my campaign," Cashman said about a potential opponent.

"Should I run unopposed, I will still continue to run a full campaign, because I think it's important to connect with those that are served."

Email: cnewton@pressrepublican.com

Twitter: CarlySNewton