AUSTERLITZ DEMS TO MEET SATURDAY AUGUST 8 at 10am

Dear Fellow Democrats,

Please join us for the next meeting of the ADC on Saturday August 8th at 10 am in the town hall in Spencertown on Route 203.  We have an upcoming election this Fall, and will be discussing candidates, our platform, the caucus, and other election related issues. We look forward to seeing you on the 8th!

Thank you,
Your Austerlitz Democratic Committee

AUSTERLITZ DEMS MEET SATURDAY MAY 9

Dear Fellow Democrats,
     

Please join us for a meeting of the Austerlitz Democrats on Saturday, May 9th at 10 am at the Town Hall.


Our agenda will include: Events, Fundraising, and Candidates for the upcoming election. Bring an interested friend or neighbor.  We are looking forward to seeing you this Saturday.

Thank you!
Your Austerlitz Democratic Committee

HIGHLIGHTS from FEBRUARY BOARD MEETING

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The Austerlitz Democratic Committee is committed to open communication and dialog about the happenings within our wonderful town.  Several of us attended the February 26, 2015 Town Board workshop and regular meeting.  Here are some of the highlights that were discussed:

• Town Hall property purchased: The new Town Hall property acquisition has closed. No town funds were needed for the purchase. Thank you to the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation for its generous contribution, and seller, Martin Parker, for picking up the closing costs. 
• State Route 203: Re-paving of Route 203 is expected to begin in the Spring. Also on roads, more than usual amount of sand and salt was used, and more overtime than usual, all due to the extraordinary snowfall. In 2017 the town's bond comes due and additional road work is needed. 
• Austerlitz Firehouse: Construction of the new firehouse is to commence in Spring. The contractor selected is the brother of the Town Supervisor. Supervisor Rob Lagonia made it clear that the Austerlitz Fire Company is a separate entity from the Town, and he had nothing to do with the contract award. 
• Town Park Renovation: The town supervisor expects to put the work out for bid next month. The tennis court will be converted to all purpose court, including tennis and basketball, etc. There is also a plan for pavilion with kitchen for community events. Thank you again to the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation. 
• Congratulations to Connie Mondel: Our own indefatigable Connie, along with Sally Charron of Ghent, were selected Senior Citizens of the Year for Columbia County! 
• Comprehensive Plan Oversight Committee: The Committee has been working on the Hamlet Study, through a survey about parking, sidewalks, etc. The DOT sent representatives from their landscape and design section offering help almost two years ago. The State Road Repair Group wrote the Town regarding any changes in the interim. The next step is to have an open meeting to give the public a chance to participate before roadwork begins. 
• Quick additional items: ~Gravel Grinder Cycling event set for Sunday, May 17, 2015. ~Elizabeth Whiteman re-appointed to Board of Assessment Review. ~Town Clerk/Tax Collector and Town Justice Court Audits, by Greg Vogler; these areas came through okay. A State audit of accounts and claims resulted in a good report. 

Next meeting, March 19, 2015. Come on out and see your town government at work. (For complete meeting minutes, see the town's web-site: http://austerlitzny.com/2010-town-board-minutes/ )

Thank you!
Your Austerlitz Democratic Committee

ELECTIONS MATTER: HIGHLIGHTS from 2014 and LOOKING FORWARD

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Elections do matter.   Many positive things have happened since Rob Lagonia and Greg Vogler won election on the Democratic ticket and joined the Austerlitz town board in January 2014.  More good things are planned in 2015 as well.  This year is an election year with two additional town board seats to be contested.  We will be nominating high quality candidates, and there will be fun and informative campaign events too.  The Austerlitz Democratic Committee will keep you updated throughout this year on the upcoming election and events.

Here are some of the changes our newly elected officials brought to energize our town and its government in 2014.  These achievements delivered on key commitments of the Austerlitz Democratic Committee's election platform: 

• Fiscal soundness and responsibility.  For many years the town budget was balanced by heavily drawing down our savings, without a plan to ensure the town did not run out of money for emergency needs, or to maintain our credit rating or to finance much needed and expensive new road equipment.  That is now changed, and the budget is balanced without further erosion of our savings reserve.
• The speed limit on Route 203 has been lowered (with special thanks to independent town residents who also took an active role in this change).  Stay tuned for developments this year on much needed paving.
• A new road grader has been acquired to maintain our dirt roads.  The last grader died suddenly in September and the new one is now on the roads. This is an example of why we need to maintain our savings reserves! 
• Greater transparency.   Important information is openly discussed at the town board meetings allowing all those who attend (or read the minutes on the town website) to know all of the same facts and considerations the town board has.  Click here for the Austerlitz Town Board Minutes
• Real progress on the town park was made.  A Community Day was held this past summer to get input on how best to design a renovated town park.  With the active role of our new Supervisor, the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation committed additional money to help make this happen.   
• Also with the active participation of our Supervisor, and the generosity of the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation, the former church next to the existing town hall has been purchased. It will become the new Austerlitz town hall as soon as repairs can be made and new office spaces are constructed over the next couple of years.  Stay tuned for updates on this exciting resolution of a long standing issue. 
• Audits.  Each year, the law requires that the town conduct its own audits of the town court, the town clerk, and our tax assessor.  These audits had not been done in years; however, they were reestablished in 2014 and will be conducted each year going forward. 
• Active participation at the county.   Rob Lagonia is an active participant at the County Board of Supervisors, and our voices are once again now being heard at the county level. 

This year is shaping up to be another busy year.   Here are some of the activities planned for 2015:

• Identify all of the town's large purchase needs, and to develop a fiscally responsible way to acquire them.  
• Completion of the new town park.
• Begin renovation of the new town hall building.
• Pursue NY State paving of Route 203.
• Improve the condition of our town roads, and have the proper equipment to maintain them.
• Maintain fiscal soundness, and overall transparency.
• Maintain an active role at the County level.

Stay tuned as the year progresses.  Good things are happening!  If you have any ideas or comments to share, please send them to  austerlitzdemocraticcommittee@gmail.com or mail them to PO Box 266, Spencertown, NY, 12165.

So, as you have read, elections do matter, and can produce results.  Importantly, winning elections require funds to have our voices heard.   Please help us now by sending a donation to the Austerlitz Democratic Committee at PO Box 266, Spencertown, NY, 12165.  Contributions to the ADC are not tax deductible.

Thank you!

Your Austerlitz Democratic Committee 

COMMUNITY EVENT - JUNE 7 in the TOWN PARK

Dear Friends and Neighbors, a message from our town supervisor:

The town has been given a generous donation for the purpose of updating our Town Park.  The Town Board decided to have a community event on June 7th from 12:00 - 1:30.  Hot dogs and beverages will be served.  Please bring your thinking caps as all suggestions are welcome.  The Town Board will compile all suggestions and ideas and move forward in the direction that best fits the needs of our community.  Looking forward to a large turnout.


Please spread the word.

Rob Lagonia
Town Supervisor

THANK YOU

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The votes are tallied and the results are in from our recent victorious election. Since the caucus, we spent much of our time going door-to-door to meet our constituents. It is now time to reflect on the support we received from all of you and express our heart-felt appreciation.

We recognize that an election takes a lot of support for candidate events, letter writing, an absentee ballot drive, the "get out the vote" initiative, financial support, communications, and involves many volunteers and callers pitching in right up through Election Day. Of course your vote on Election day itself is the ultimate support for our candidacies.

We appreciate your generous giving of your valuable time and resources, and pledge to represent all of our constituencies well as we take our elected offices early next year. We are interested in your issues, so please contact us in the interim if there is an issue on your mind. Let's keep up the positive independent-minded energy from the election!

Thanks for all you do and look for an announcement of a celebratory event.

Sincerely,

Rob Lagonia, Greg Vogler, Sharon Grubin and your Austerlitz Democratic Committee

WE WON !!!!

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The results are in and our candidates have been elected! Rob Lagonia is our new Austerlitz Town Supervisor, Greg Vogler will join the Town Board, and Sharon Grubin is our new Town Justice. Congratulations to the candidates and all who worked so hard to support them!  



The vote counts so far, i.e. without the absentee votes counted, are:

For Town Supervisor:

Rob Lagonia [D] - 371
Jeff Braley [R] - 216

For Town Board (top two vote counts win):

Matt Verenazi [R] - 373
Greg Vogler [D] - 301
Carol Pinto [R] - 298

For Town Justice:

Sharon Grubin [D] - 387
Karen Kellogg [R] - 178

Of course, the over 100 absentee ballots have yet to be counted, but the numbers there are in our favor.  We are quite confident that the absentee ballots, when counted in two weeks, will add to our margin of victory.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE !!!!!

IT'S ELECTION DAY! PLEASE VOTE ROW A

It's Election Day!

The candidates' campaigns are done, the absentee ballots are (mostly) in, so now it is your turn to get out and vote. Each and every vote counts in our local elections, and this year will be no exception. Polls are open today from 6 am until 9 pm.  The Spencertown Firehouse is the polling place.

Please get out, bring a friend, and vote Line A all the way!

ELECTION IS THIS COMING TUESDAY - NOVEMBER 5

Polls are open at the Spencertown Firehouse, 6am - 9pm…

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

In case you missed this in the Columbia Paper and the Chatham Courier, here is a letter from our party chair about our three candidates:

To the Editor:

There is an important local election in Austerlitz this year.  The Austerlitz Democratic caucus nominated an energetic, well qualified, independent minded slate of candidates that deserves serious consideration and constituents' votes this coming Tuesday, November 5th.

At the top of the ticket is Rob Lagonia for Town Supervisor.  Rob and his family are long time members of our community; he is well respected, has experience as a local businessman and is know to the public through his service as a town justice in Austerlitz and Philmont.  His combination of public service and private business experience makes him an ideal choice to deal with the important local and county issues facing our community.  These issues include safety (the roads, the town court, and the Austerlitz firehouse), the need for a supervisor who will be engaged and speak up at the county level, and ensure enforcement of current local laws in a fair and even-handed way.  If you know Rob, you know he is energetic, well spoken, a good listener, not afraid to speak up, and holds himself and his colleagues to the highest ethical standards.  Austerlitz would be well served at the local and county level with Rob as our supervisor.

Greg Vogler, another long time member of our community, grew up in a town not unlike ours. He is running for a seat on the Town Board. Our current Board has representation from only one party, and this is not reflective of our constituencies. Greg's election to the Board would add more representation of different constituencies than is currently reflected.  He has a business and finance background working as an internal auditor, which means his job is to make sure his employer is doing their job for the key stakeholders, and staying within their budget.  He would do the same thing for Austerlitz: make sure that the local government is doing its job for all of its constituents, and staying within its budget. He is comfortable with financial matters, used to asking the tough questions and making sure that projects stay cost-efficient.  These are terrific skills to bring to our Town Board.

Sharon Grubin is the Democratic candidate for Town Justice, and she too is a long time community member. She is an attorney by education and experience and was a Federal Magistrate for many years.  Justice, fairness and balance are critical for someone to bring to the bench, whether they are at the Federal level or the local level, and Sharon has proven she knows how to do this.  An experienced judge for Austerlitz will ensure that the law is applied properly and in an evenhanded manner to protect individuals, our families and our neighborhoods. Sharon has a real sense of what the law requires and will make sure everyone gets a fair shake in the pursuit of justice.

Support these superb candidates who will represent their constituencies well for Austerlitz. Please vote for Rob Lagonia, Greg Vogler and Sharon Grubin on Line A this coming Tuesday, November 5th.

Sincerely,

Eileen Fusco, Chair of the Austerlitz Democratic Committee

PROFILES of our CANDIDATES

Our Candidates!

Rob Lagonia:

In case you haven't had the chance to meet our Town Supervisor candidate, Rob Lagonia in person, here is his profile: 

• Has served as town and village judge since 1998 and was re-elected 3 times as Austerlitz Town Justice
• Successful business owner who has created hundreds of local jobs
• Contributor to charities and fund-raising events benefiting the local community
• Spencertown resident since 1978
• Married with two sons who attended Chatham schools 

As Austerlitz Town Supervisor, Rob will:

• Work to keep property taxes low
• Balance the rights on individual property owners with the need to protect and preserve our community, farmland, and rural way of life
• Use his business expertise to encourage and promote local businesses
• Work with all parties for the betterment of Austerlitz
• Use his fiscal conservatism to look to reduce spending by the Columbia Board of Supervisors as well as providing a strong voice for Austerlitz at the County level 

Please vote November 5th for ROB LAGONIA for Austerlitz Town Supervisor.

Greg Vogler:

In case you haven't had the chance to meet our Town Board candidate in person, here is GREG VOGLER's profile:

• Highly respected auditor for 30 years
• Local resident for 14 years
• Vast experience preparing, reviewing and analyzing budgets
• Fact based, fair minded, and cost conscious solution maker
• Willing listener to all points of view
• Born and raised in a small town like Austerlitz
• Deeply respects the town's history and all of our people

As an Austerlitz Town Board member, Greg will:

• Work to keep property taxes low
• Balance the rights of private property owners with the need to protect and preserve our community and rural way of life
• Use his business expertise to promote local businesses
• Ensure that Austerlitz remains a safe place to live
• Remember our seniors with the most needs
• Work with all parties for the betterment of Austerlitz.

Please vote on November 5th for GREG VOGLER for Austerlitz Town Board!  And although the ballot says vote for two for Town Board, you can vote for just one if that is your decision.  

Sharon Grubin:

Dear Friends and Neighbors: In case you haven't had the chance to meet our Town Justice candidate, Sharon Grubin in person, she is: 

• An active and caring member of our community for 29 years
• An experienced judge, having handled thousands of civil and criminal matters
• A Federal Trial Judge for 16 years
• An eminent attorney for 40 years
• An officer and member of judges' and lawyers' professional groups
• Featured in New York Super Lawyers and Who's Who in American Law
• A teacher and author on a wide variety of legal issues
• Known professionally for her patience and thoroughness

In Sharon's own words: "I deeply believe in equal access for all people to fair and unbiased decision-making. There is no small case.  It would be an honor to serve this community that I love on the issues that come before the Town Court."  

Don't take a chance when your freedom, safety and finances are at stake; choose experience.

Please vote on November 5th for SHARON GRUBIN for Austerlitz Town justice!  

CHILI COOK OFF is NEXT SUNDAY NOV 3

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Please mark your calendars for two important upcoming dates:

On Sunday, November 3rd from 11-1 at the Spencertown Firehouse, please come out with your friends and neighbors to support and hear from your candidates (Rob Lagonia for Town Supervisor, Greg Vogler for Town Board, and Sharon Grubin for Town Justice) for this year's important election. Taste their chilies and see just how broad our candidates' talents range! Hear from the candidates at noontime. It's a fun-raiser, not a fundraiser. Please join us for this fun, informative and tasty event!

Please remember to get out and vote on Tuesday, November 5. The polls are open from 6AM - 9PM. Elections are won or lost by just a few votes; your vote counts!

Thank you, your Austerlitz Democratic Committee

Report on our June Committee Meeting

Hello Friends and Fellow Democrats:

An engaged group, composed of some regulars and some new members, gathered to discuss the issues of this important election year:

• A report from the treasurer indicated a number of contributions received since our last meeting. Keep them coming folks, we need to support our candidates this year! Information on how to contribute is at the bottom of this email.
• The nominating committee reported on a strong pipeline and is currently interviewing prospective candidates.
• The platform was discussed, and there was general consensus on the key issues and positions. Our platform, which is based on our stated values, will be unveiled after the caucus. It addresses specifics of keeping our town vibrant, supporting our constituents, our participation at the county level, ethics, and town safety. The group agreed we have an excellent foundation of issues on which to launch our candidates.
• Finally, we decided to have an informative, fun, fundraising event highlighting our candidates in the early Fall, likely September. Stay tuned for a "Save the Date"!  A second, pre-election event will be held just before the November elections.

Mark your calendars for Saturday July 20th at 10 am at the Town Hall for our next meeting - you won't have wait for these reports-so come out and join us, and tell your friends.

Remember this is a big year and has the potential to be pivotal; The Town Supervisor and two Town Board members are up for election. We can win this election as we did with the Town Judge David Cassuto last year (in 2012, Democrats won in Austerlitz from the President all the way down the ticket!). 

Remember to send to us, at AusterlitzDemocraticCommittee@gmail.com, the email addresses of friends who want to join our distribution list.

Finally, we want to be able to fund our big campaign this year. Please send a donation to Austerlitz Democrats, PO Box 266, Spencertown, NY 12165. The donations are not tax deductible, but are very much appreciated.

REMINDER: ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING THIS SATURDAY

Hello Friends and Fellow Democrats:

Please join us this coming Saturday, February 2 at 10:30 at the Spencertown Town Hall as we celebrate our 2012 successes and plan for 2013!  We will be discussing the organization, officers and subcommittees, our 2013 goals and calendar, including some community events for the upcoming year.  Please join us and bring an interested friend or neighbor; light refreshments will be available!   

ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING FEBRUARY 2

Greetings!

Based on our values (see our January 6 post), we have begun working on our 2013 goals for this important local election year. We value everyone's input, so please join us at our organizational meeting on February 2nd at 10:30 at the Town Hall. We will also have light refreshments to celebrate our 2012 successes!

Thank you!

VALUE STATEMENT

Happy New Year!  As we begin 2013, it is a natural time to reflect on many things, including our shared community values. Here are the Austerlitz Democrats' stated values: 



Service: Our first purpose is to provide service to the whole community.



Transparency: Community life is enhanced when town business is conducted as openly as possible, and when information can be easily accessed.



Pride in Austerlitz: We recognize and support the unique quality of life in our town. It is pastoral yet vibrant. We encourage residents in their business and artistic endeavors wherever possible.



Competence: Town government must practice high ethical standards and pursue a professional management style in working to accomplish goals.



We are working on our 2013 goals, based on these values, for this important local election year, and will be meeting to discuss them in February; stay tuned for a meeting date!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS... and THANK YOU !!!!

Happy Holidays and Thanks from your Austerlitz Democrats

The Austerlitz Democratic Party wants to wholeheartedly thank everyone for their support in the last election: from those who cast a ballot or helped others do so on Election Day, or made use of absentee voting, or to those who posted lawn signs, made calls or attended a fund raising event.  

In our little town, we carried every Democratic candidate on the ticket! Our turnout was quite outstanding and as a result we now have a Democratic Town Justice in David Casutto.  We are energized going into 2013 and will be interviewing potential candidates for Supervisor and two Town Board seats which are in play next year.  We are very proud of what we accomplished and we remember that pride and sense of accomplishment as the next election season rolls around.

Look for other announcements and events early in 2013.

Have a wonderful Holiday and a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Austerlitz 2012 Election Results

ABSENTEE and REGISTRATION VOTER GUIDELINES

For anyone you know that is not yet registered to vote, or not registered to vote in Columbia County, they can do so before OCTOBER 12.

For absentee ballots, see: http://www.columbiacountyny.com/depts/elections/documents/misc/Absentee_App.pdf

For anyone you know who may have questions about whether they are eligible to register to vote in Columbia County, please have them go to Columbia County Board of Elections www.columbiacountyny.com/depts/elections/index.html or Country Vote  www.countryvote.org for more information.  The basic rule is if you have a home in the County you can vote in the County, even if you work or own a home out of the County. 


NOVEMBER 6, 2012 GENERAL ELECTION REGISTRATION DEADLINES

MAIL REGISTRATION (N.Y. Election Law Section 5-210(3))
Applications must be postmarked no later than October 12th and received by a Board of Elections no later than October 17th to be eligible to vote in the General Election.

IN PERSON REGISTRATION (N.Y. Election Law Sections 5-210, 5-211, 5-212)

You may register at your local Board of Elections or any state agency participating in the National Voter Registration Act, on any business day throughout the year but, to be eligible to vote in the November General Election, your application must be received no later than October 12th except, if you have been honorably discharged from the military or have become a naturalized citizen since October 12th, you may register in person at the board of elections up until October 26th.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS (N.Y. Election Law Section 5-208(3))
Notices of change of address from registered voters received by October 17th by a county Board of Elections must be processed and entered in the records in time for the General Election.

DEADLINES FOR APPLYING FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS: 

FOR GENERAL ELECTION

Date	DEADLINE INFORMATION
Oct. 30	Last day to postmark an application or letter of application by mail for an Absentee Ballot.
Nov. 5	Last day to apply IN-PERSON for Absentee Ballot.
Nov. 5	Last day to postmark Ballot. Must be received by the local Board of Elections no later than Nov. 13th. Military Voter Ballots must be received no later than Nov. 19th.
Nov. 6	Last day to deliver Ballot IN-PERSON to the local Board of Elections (by someone other than the voter).

MEET YOUR LOCAL DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES - THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012

Meet, greet and support our Local Democratic Candidates:  David Cassuto for Austerlitz Town Judge and Cheryl Roberts for NYS Assembly, Thursday, August 30 from 5-7 pm (candidates to speak at 6:00). 

Wine and hors d'oeuvres will be served.  Come out and join your friends and neighbors to hear the issues and show your support in this important election year. 

Hosted by Karen and George Jahn, 299 Beale Road., Spencertown (1.4 miles from Route 203);  RSVP to tcassuto@fairpoint.net

Suggested Contribution: $25 for the Austerlitz Democratic Committee Treasury (by law, names and street addresses of contributors must accompany contributions, so please include this on your checks.

AUSTERLITZ CAUCUS set for AUGUST 18, MEET the CANDIDATES AUGUST 30

Greetings Austerlitz Democrats!  We will hold our caucus on Saturday August 18 at 9:30 in the Town Hall on Route 203.  Come meet your fellow local Democrats.

And on August 30 come meet David Cassuto, Esq., our 2012 candidate for Austerlitz Town Judge, and Cheryl Roberts, our neighbor running for the NY State Assembly. (event details to follow).   

David, a long time resident of Spencertown, received his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law.  He is a Professor of Law at Pace University and teaches in the areas of property, professional responsibility, environmental law, water law, animal law, and international comparative environmental law. He also directs the Brazil American Institute for Law and Environment (BAILE), a cooperative endeavor with the Getulio Vargas Foundation School of Law in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Prior to joining the faculty at Pace, David was in private practice, specializing in complex civil litigation.  He also clerked for the Honorable Rosemary Barkett on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.  He is widely published and a frequent speaker on issues ranging from corporate criminal law to environmental and cultural studies and literary criticism (David is a former professor of English specializing in literature and the environment).

David has been a member of the community since 1972 and currently lives in Spencertown with his family. His wife, Elizabeth Downes, teaches French; his son Jesse is in the eighth grade and a member of the ski team at Jiminy Peak, where David also teaches.

                            

For more information on David Cassuto’s professional career, please visit: http://www.pace.edu/school-of-law/faculty-0/full-time-faculty/cassuto-david-n

Contact:
dncassuto@gmail.com or 392-2318