McGunnigle Defeats Kashman for Village of Tannersville

Tannersville - Former Village Mayor Dr. Lee McGunnigle will return to office on April 7 after running as an Independent and winning the mayoral election. McGunnigle received 179 votes, defeating Deputy Mayor David Kashman, who garnered 117 votes.

McGunnigle previously served as Village Mayor for over two decades before losing to current Mayor David Schneider by a single vote in 2023.

According to the Greene County Board of Elections (BOE), the results of this election remain unofficial. In an email, the BOE stated, "These results are still unofficial as we have three outstanding cures." However, those outstanding ballots will not affect the outcome of the election.

McGunnigle emphasized a smooth transition of leadership. "First of all, we had a respective, constructive meeting with Deputy Mayor David Kashman following the results of the election, and he assured me he would participate or allow me to get up to speed on all the projects that are currently in progress or things that have been on the table so that we can have a smooth transition and the work can continue."

McGunnigle wasted no time engaging with local stakeholders. Following the election, McGunnigle met with Central Hudson to discuss improving pedestrian safety by installing 17 new streetlights in key walking areas. "This is consistent with the needs of the many," he said, noting that the decision came in response to citizen requests.

McGunnigle also met with Village Clerk Robin Dumont, who served under his previous administration. He praised her as a "dedicated, talented public employee" and highlighted her effectiveness during his tenure and under the current administration.

The new Mayor will be sworn in at noon on April 7, with the first Village Board meeting scheduled for that evening at 5:30 p.m. The elected trustees will also take their oaths of office that day.

McGunnigle plans to direct the incoming trustees to Village Clerk Dumont, who will provide them with the New York Conference of Mayors (NYCOM) handbook to prepare them for their roles. "They're freshmen elected officials—they've never been in office before," he said. The handbook outlines their duties, responsibilities, and constraints while in office.

Among the key agenda items for the first meeting is a review of the short-term rental law drafted by former village attorney Bill Simon. "We have a law specific to Tannersville because the Village has zoning," McGunnigle explained, emphasizing that the law is more compatible with a municipality with zoning regulations. Additionally, the Board will consider adopting a new sewer law.

McGunnigle is eager to get to work. "I said I was going to hit the pavement running," he stated, "and we're going to have to get up to speed quickly." He expressed enthusiasm about the high voter turnout, saying, "The participation in this election has been terrific. The community is engaged in the future of Tannersville."

One of his primary objectives is to accelerate stalled projects. "I'm going to light a fire under every project and get them going," he said, reiterating his campaign stance that the Schneider administration moved too slowly and was too focused on village dissolution. "I'm going to put in the time to bring these projects from the DRI grants to fruition."

He also plans to meet with engineers working on the municipal building solarization project. "I want to meet with the company and engineers and see if we can squeeze more energy into the project," he said.

Trustee George Kelly expressed confidence in McGunnigle's leadership. "It was a given for weeks that Lee McGunnigle would be the next Mayor. The residents of the Village have spoken. His win was a landslide."

Following the election, former Village Trustee Gregory Thorpe submitted his resignation but declined to comment on his decision. Mayor David Schneider had a choice to appoint a new trustee while he was still in office or leave it to the new administration. He chose the former. 

Mayor Schneider exercised his right to appoint a replacement for Thorpe's vacant seat. "Following the resignation of Trustee Gregory Thorpe, as Mayor, it was my right to appoint a candidate," Schneider said. "I vetted several potential candidates and chose to wait for the election results to be finalized. After speaking to multiple candidates and previous Board members and consulting with Village residents, I have decided to appoint Kody Leach. I feel that having somebody young and a lifelong area resident will set the Board up for success."

Leach received 112 votes, third place ahead of Stephen Tuomey, who received 72.

Leach expressed gratitude for the appointment. "It is my privilege to be appointed by Mayor Schneider to the Village Board. I am excited to begin my political journey and feel well supported to take on the position of Village Trustee. I want to thank all the voters for their support during and after the election. While the outcome wasn't what I had hoped, my commitment to the future of our Village remains strong."

Reflecting on his tenure, Schneider shared his pride in his administration's achievements. "Serving the Village residents for the past two years has been a pleasure. My administration accomplished so much in a short period of time. It stayed focused on the needs of the Village and Village infrastructure and worked with the Hunter Chamber of Commerce to bring economic development to the mountaintop."

Schneider will now take on a new role. "As I leave my position as mayor, I will be taking on the position of president of the Hunter Chamber of Commerce and hope to bring new and vital economic development to the Village."

Village trustee candidate Stephen Tuomey offered congratulations to McGunnigle and the elected trustees. "I wish you the best of luck down the road. While I am disappointed with the process we went through again in the voting, I still wish you the best of luck. I also wish the Village of Tannersville the best of luck. I'd also like to thank the voters who supported my campaign."

Newly-elected Village Trustee Rebecca Fitting, who received 192 votes, shared her enthusiasm. "This has been an exciting election season here in Tannersville, but I'm thrilled this phase is finally over! Now I'm looking forward to April 7, when the Village administration transitions, and I'm looking forward to working with the new team."

Trustee-elect Gil Adler, who received 149 votes, echoed that sentiment. "I'm excited to help this Village heal from dissolution and begin enacting the mandates from everything I heard from the residents as I was campaigning."