Wilmington supervisor race pits two attorneys

Oct. 17—WILMINGTON — The general election will see two candidates vying for the job of Wilmington town supervisor.

Current Wilmington Supervisor Roy Holzer is not running for reelection.

The Press-Republican asked the campaigners two questions about their goals and plans if they win.

Anything you'd like to accomplish if elected?

FOLLOS

"Wilmington's close call with the Dollar General franchise shows that we should work quickly to update and improve our zoning ordinance in order to:

"Allow our Planning Board to improve the appearance and limit the size and visibility of big box stores and similar entities;

"Promote the redevelopment of blighted properties in and around the center of town, while simultaneously slowing the pace of deforestation and commercial development in residential areas of Wilmington, and;

"Provide our planning board with stronger legal grounds to protect and improve the "character of the community" and residential quality of life.

"In addition, I will work to slow Wilmington's current pattern of annual property tax increases by, among other things:

"Using bed tax money to the maximum extent legally permissible;

"Departing from "business as usual" spending practices, which have required Wilmington taxpayers to foot the bill for $450-an-hour attorneys, among other luxuries."

SMITH

"My first goal would be to focus on cooperation by involving board members and the public in areas over which the town has control.

"Like many other communities, Wilmington has been divided over flashpoint issues (short term rentals) that have been expressed as hard feelings between neighbors. Unfortunately, the problem is larger than Wilmington and very small towns like Wilmington won't get anything done if they slide into a divisive, zero-sum approach to these questions

"My efforts will be directed towards transparency on those local issues that most concern the public and to ask for direct help from them to help solve those problems. This is a buy-in that seeks to include as many voices as needed to reach some compromise and, one hopes, basic consensus.

"And because of Wilmington's size, such an approach is possible. A more immediate goal is to increase the pay for the town employees. With such limited resources, this will require trade-offs, but those who work for the town feel the pinch of increased inflation and face difficult decisions on whether to find other work because their wages are not keeping up."

Any issues you need to address if elected?

FOLLOS

"Short-term vacation rentals (STRs) are the area's hot topic of the decade, and Wilmington, a town with approximately 650 dwelling units, now has at least 125 whole home STRs. I do not want to ban STRs, but 125 is both a large and a sufficient number for a town the size of Wilmington.

"I will work to cap the number of annual STR permits issued by Wilmington at a number around 125; I will seek ways to curtail additional STR proliferation in residential parts of town; and I will work to enact legal mechanisms to ensure that neighboring property owners have the right to the quiet enjoyment of their own property."

SMITH

"In addition to the issue mentioned earlier, there are two issues that share a common thread: Wilmington as a resort community and the division of Wilmington between the Ausable Valley Central School District (AVCS) and the Lake Placid Central School District (LPCS).

"The thread that links them is Wilmington, North Elba (Lake Placid) and the State of New York. For the question of being a resort community, while Wilmington faces the same challenges and opportunities recently reported on by the State Comptroller (Rural New York: Challenges and Opportunities, September 2023), Wilmington is also home to the largest Olympic venue,Whiteface Mountain, and is surrounded by such outdoor beauty that many visitors seek its comforts and recreational opportunities.

"Over the past few years New York state has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into the Olympic venues. That is where the state has placed its resources.

"Other areas of growth, new industries, new infrastructure, are out of reach for small towns in the Adirondack Park like Wilmington.

"As for the school districts, the division within the town has also separated the community: First, groups of children from other neighboring children, because where they live is in a different school district, and second, neighbors who live in the same town but bear a disproportionate cost of living there because the tax for the AVCS is 300% greater than LPCS.

"Once again, the state would play the decisive role, because any change to the school district needs its approval. Both these are big and hard questions that will require community effort and cooperation.

"These are hard and pressing questions that I will address with community help if elected."

(bio boxes)

TIM FOLLOS

Age: 41.

Party: Democrat; independent (Silent Majority Party).

Occupation: Attorney.

Education: Georgetown University, B.A. in Government; Vermont Law School, J.D.

Previous government experience: Wilmington Town Council, elected in 2021.

Civic organizations: Currently Town Council liaison to Wilmington Youth Commission;Wilmington Planning and Zoning Board; and Wilmington Parks Department. Previously town liaison to Wilmington Library Board.

FAVOR J. SMITH

Age: 60.

Party: Independent (Honesty Party).

Occupation: Attorney, private practice, admitted 1997.

Education: Vassar College, B.A., 1985; University of New Hampshire School of Law, J.D., 1996.

Previous government experience: Lake Placid Central School Board, 1999-2001.

Civic organizations: Essex County Bar Association, treasurer.

Family: Wife, Betsy; two children: Teresa and Anne.