Johnsburg has many contests this election…

By Maury Thompson, Special to The Chronicle

Using a chicken and egg metaphor, a townwide property revaluation in Johnsburg about two years ago hatched a greater awareness of town government.

Revaluations, when property values are adjusted to match market trends, are nearly always controversial.

In Johnsburg, controversy over the accuracy of the methodology was magnified, as it was the first revaluation in the town in about 50 years.
As attendance at Town Board meetings mushroomed, those attending recognized myriad other issues of concern.

Added to that, the resignation of former Supervisor Andrea Hogan in February left many questioning whether town government needed a new direction.

The result is that there are 11 candidates for four seats on the town board.

With only one town board member not up for re-election, it is conceivable that four of five town board members next year could be new members. Regardless of the outcome, at least two new Town Board members will be filling open seats.

In the supervisor’s race, Republican Kevin Bean is challenging current supervisor Mark Smith, who was appointed in February after Hogan’s resignation. He is running on the independent Johnsburg Forward line for a two-year term.

Mr. Bean, a painting contractor, posted on his Facebook page: “If I am elected to the role of supervisor, my job is to listen to the residents of Johnsburg, and, after considering our citizens’ thoughtful input, to do what is best for the majority of the community.”

Mr. Smith wrote in a recent report to constituents, “It is time against which we are vying. Move too slowly, and everything passes us by.”
Five candidates seek the two open seats with four-year terms on the Town Board.

The five candidates are:

• Anna Bowers, a teacher and president of The Johnsburg Business Alliance, on the Democrat and independent Johnsburg United lines;
• John Slekman, a long-time chemistry professor who now sells microgreens at farmers’ market, on the Democratic line;
• Paul Heid, who operates a motor sports business, on the Republican line;
• Christian Holt, a former appointed town assessor, on the Republican line;
• Judy Brown, who serves on several community organization boards and was on the Gore Mountain ski patrol for 30 years, on the independent Johnsburg United line;
• Amanda Mosher, an artist, on the independent Unity line.

Three candidates are seeking to fill the remaining two years of the term of a former Town Board member who resigned.

The candidates are:

• Pete Hoskins, who was appointed to the seat, on the Democratic line. He’s a former president of The Philadelphia Zoo and before that a Philadelphia city government administrator;
• Jim Jetson Williams, on the Republican line;
• Roger Mosher, on the independent Integrity line.

In recent telephone interviews, candidates said the issues are not partisan, and that the top issue is electing Town Board members who can unify residents around a shared vision to address housing, economic development and infrastructure.

Seven of the 11 candidates returned voice mail or email messages The Chronicle left seeking comment for this report.

Multiple projects are in the works or planned in the town.

The Olympic Regional Development Authority is to break ground next spring on a lodge and restaurant at the town-owned Ski Bowl park. There will also be a new chair lift that can accommodate mountain bikes, and a new zip line.

Current Supervisor Mr. Smith said the project will increase year-round tourism and bring Gore Mountain users closer to the main North Creek business district.

Most candidates support the ORDA project, although some say there is a need for more transparency and clarity about the town’s role in the project.

Roger Mosher, a candidate for the two-year seat, was skeptical of the project when he spoke at a forum that the Johnsburg Business Alliance organized.

“ORDA is taking over our town,” he said. “It really is not helping us all that much.”

Amanda Mosher, who is Mr. Mosher’s daughter, opposes the ORDA project.

Planning and engineering work has been completed for a new sewer district in North Creek. The Town Board is preparing to advertise for bid to construct it.

Supporters of the sewer district say it will encourage economic development, and the cost will be borne by property owners in the district, not the whole town.

“You must have an infrastructure in place if you’re going to move forward,” said Mr. Heid.

Mr. Williams says the sewer project would be larger. “It needs to be expanded, so it serves the greater community.”

Mr. Bean posted on Facebook that he supports the sewer district, and that rumors that he does not are false.

Amanda Mosher opposes moving forward with the sewer district.

“North Creek doesn’t need this costly sewer district the town has planned,” she posted on Facebook.

Mr. Smith has proposed relocating town offices and working with Small Tales, a not-for-profit, to operate a daycare center at the current town building.

Mr. Smith wrote in his recent report that Small Tales operates successful daycare centers in Warrensburg and Chester.

Candidates say there is indeed a desperate need for daycare in the town, but that it seems hasty to consider relocating town offices to make space for it.

“As far as the town hall, I think we’ve got to put it out to the public first,” said Mr. Sleckman.

Mr. Holt says, “Do we need space at town offices? Absolutely,” but that more evaluation is necessary to determine if some offices could be moved to other town-owned buildings without building a new structure.

Ms. Bowers said the need for daycare is immediate, and may not be able to wait for a new town office building to be planned and constructed.
“Would building a new town hall help us? Would it hold us back?” she asked.

Mr. Hoskins said the daycare issue and consideration of a new town hall should be handled separately. “Right now, it’s kind of a combined idea,” he said.

The Town Board also is discussing whether to move forward with a proposed contract negotiated during Ms. Hogan’s administration to lease the town-owned Tannery Pond Community Center to the non-profit organization that manages programs there.

It would enable the non-profit to apply for grants not available to the town.

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