Contested Races in Stamford

STAMFORD — Voters in the town of Stamford will be asked to decide on a ballot proposal along with having candidate choices for town supervisor and a two year vacancy for town highway superintendent. The other positions, which include two council seats and an assessors seat, are not contested

There are two candidates for town supervisor.  Incumbent John Kosier, a Conservative, is being challenged by Doug McMullen, a Republican. 

John Kosier is seeking his fourth term as supervisor in the town of Stamford, running on the Conservative party ballot.

Born at Bathgate Hospital in Stamford, he has lived his entire life in the Stamford area and was a 1972 graduate of Stamford Central School.

Kosier was first elected supervisor in 2019 and was re-elected for the successive two terms. This year, he is challenged by Republican candidate Douglas D. McMullen.

Kosier has served on the Delaware County Board of Supervisors since 2020 and is currently seated on the county's Public Works Committee, the county Finance Committee, s a part of the budget committee and is chairman of the county's Economic Development Committee.

In 2023, he was elected to the Catskill Watershed Corporation’s Board of Directors.

Since first being elected supervisor for the town of Stamford, he has applied for and received a number of grants for the town, totaling nearly $1 million in savings for the town's taxpayers.

He has also worked to keep the budget under the allowable state tax cap every year he has been supervisor and anticipates the same this year.

"My proudest accomplishment has been helping to bring ambulance service to the three towns of Stamford, Harpersfield and Kortright. There was a great need for this ambulance service with response times lowered drastically," said Kosier. He attributes the establishment of the ambulance service to the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation. "We are very grateful to them."

Kosier said he looks forward to continuing to serve the citizens of the town of Stamford.

Kosier is also an assistant fire chief with the South Kortright Fire Department and is a past president of the Hobart Rotary Club.

Looking ahead, he believes affordable family housing, public transportation and increasing business opportunities for restaurants, dining and other small businesses are some of the key issues that need to be addressed.

Doug McMullen is at the point in his life now where he believes he has the time to devote to serving as the town supervisor. He has been asked numerous times but, until this year, has declined to make the run. The retired SUNY Delhi Automotive Technology professor said, "I have some time and I told those who kept asking me to run that I will give it a try"

He would like to see more transparency on political issues. He was born and raised in Stamford, worked at an auto dealership before opening his own business in Bloomville and then working at the college. While living in Bloomville, he served eight years as the fire chief.

He said he's not in it for the money and will donate 25 percent of his pay to local things, such as the humane society and food pantries.

He said he knows several of the county's supervisors and believes if he has a question, he has a network of resource available to ask for help.

He would like to see more done with the town's web page and other social media, to be able to work with the many groups and organizations. He sees tourism as a way to improve the local economy. "We have the Hobart Book Village and there are other things we can do to bring people into our community. I think we could do a lot with snowmobiling, farm stands and increasing the number of eateries and restaurants."

He also knows how to write grants and he believes grants are a way to get money for different organizations to help improve the economic climate. 

There are two town council seats on the ballot, with no opposition. They include newcomers Deborah E. Ballard and Jessica S. Watson. Ballard is Republican and Watson is running under the Transparency for the People party. 

Debora Ballard was born and raised in Stamford. She is an active member of the community working in Stamford since 1982 and owning her own business in the village since 1986, Deby’s Beauty Shoppe. She serves on the Advisory Board Committee for  the Northern Catskills Occupational Center Board of Cooperative Educational ServicesCosmetology and has previously been involved with helping Girl Scout cookie sales while her daughter was young, and local leagues for her grandchildren. She said she is passionate about the town of Stamford as her late husband, Jon Ballard,  was the Highway Superintendent for the past 10 years. His serving as the highway superintendent provided her with some important insights about town government.

Jessica Wilson has been attending the Stamford Town Board meetings for several months and is a candidate for one of the two seats up for election on the Stamford Town Council.

"I was born and raised in the town of Stamford. I feel the current town board is made up of an older population. I think it is good to get some younger residents involved in the decisions of the town and the things that are going on," she said.

"As a taxpayer, I feel that when you go to the town board meeting and ask a question, the town board should be able to provide an answer. I feel that has been lax and I want to work toward changing that and make sure they follow through, which is a unique part of life.

"I want to be a voice for the people and make a bit of a change for the town of Stamford."

Also on the ballot, with no opposition is incumbent assessor Charles H. Ferris, a Republican.

There are two candidates for the position of highway superintendent, both newcomers. They are Kenneth Muthig, a Republican and Dan L. Miglianti, running under the Crossroads Party. Voters must select one in addition to voting on the proposition for an appointed versus elected highway superintendent position.

Kenneth Muthig is a successful business owner who is at the point where he is stepping back and slowing down to let the younger generation take over. While he has not fully retired, he does feel he has the time needed to devote to serve as highway superintendent for the town of Stamford.

He is a lifelong area resident and has worked 50 years in the heating/cooling business, Muthig's.

"I feel that I would like to try to do something a little bit different and I feel I can do a good job."

Dan Miglianti has lived in Stamford his entire life and is now at a point in his life where he would like to do something a bit different and hopefully make a difference in other people's lives. "I would like to serve the town the way it is supposed to be," he said.

As he approaches retirement he said he is looking for something that pays a little more money. He farmed it for many years and worked for the state Department of Transportation for 10 years. "I would like to be home at night," he said. "I do understand the highway superintendent has to be available and I would like to get the guys out to get to work and make a difference."

He grew up on the Miglianti farm on Roses Brook Road where he learned hard work ethics at an early age. It prepared him for working for the DOT where he was  certified in operating heavy equipment.

"I will be dedicated to keeping our roads safe during our sometimes harsh winter weather."

He said he cares deeply for the community and is asking voters to give him the opportunity to make a difference.

Stamford voters will also be asked to decide on a proposition for highway superintendent, there is: Proposal Number Two, a Question Shall a Local Law entitled "A Local Law to change the Office of Highway Superintendent from an elected office to an appointed office in the town of Stamford, New York" be approved, whereby the Elected Highway Superintendent Position be abolished and an Appointed Highway Superintendent Position created for a term of two (2) years, if adopted, to take effect January 1, 2028. Voters may vote yes or no on the proposition.

The first proposition on the ballot deals with allowing an Olympic Sports Complex in Essex County on State Forest Preserve Land.