Who will be the next Town Board members?
Election 2007 is Tuesday
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

It's decision time, Amherst residents - and there are many to make.

This year's election has been nothing short of intense, with seven candidates vying for three board seats and only one incumbent in the mix.

Also making the voting process more elaborate is the addition of three propositions.

Here is what voters need to know when entering Amherst voting booths on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Voting is from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Of all the town races the most highlighted have been the three open seats on the Town Board. The term is for four years. Council Members Michael McGuire and William A. O'Loughlin Jr. are not seeking re-election. Incumbent Bill Kindel is running for his seventh term on the board.

Voters will choose three candidates. Running on the Democratic line are Robert Foladare, Mark Manna and Jerry Schad; on the Republican line are Guy Marlette, Dr. Barry Weinstein and Roy Wixson.

On the secondary lines: Conservative - Kindel, Manna and Marlette; Independence - Foladare and Schad; and Working Families - Kindel, Manna and Schad.

The Town of Amherst also has three other elected positions on the ballot.

Incumbent Bob Anderson is seeking re-election as highway superintendent. He is endorsed by the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Working Families parties. He was elected in 2003 to his first term.

He is being challenged by Kathy Kaminski, an 18-year employee of the Highway Department and the first female crew chief. She is endorsed by the Democratic Party.

The town clerk's seat is also being sought by the incumbent and a challenger. Susan Jaros is seeking re-election on the Republican line. She has been in office since 1989.

Jeffrey E. Marion, an attorney in Williamsville, is challenging for the seat. He is members. Council Members Michael McGuire, William A. O'Loughlin Jr. and Bill Kindel's seats are up for election.

Photo by Joe Eberle. Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com endorsed by the Democratic and Conservative parties.

Town Justice Geoffrey K. Klein is running unopposed for his third term. He is endorsed by the Democratic, Republican, Conservative, Independence and Working Families lines.

He is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, serving from 1969-71, and the NYS Troopers, serving from 1974-94. After retiring from the police force he opened a law firm in Williamsville. He is currently teaching criminal justice classes at Erie Community College's North Campus.

He graduated from the University at Buffalo School of Law in 1985 and was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1986.

All three terms, highway superintendent, town clerk and justice, are also four-year terms.

In addition to voting for six individuals to serve the town, residents are asked to vote on three propositions involving town policy. Each proposition has a "yes" or "no" option.

The first, open space bond resolution, is seeking voter approval to bond money to buy land. The following is the exact wording: "Authorizing the issuance of $12,000,000 bonds to finance the acquisition of interests or rights in land for the purpose of preserving green space, natural area and farmland, and protecting water quality."

The second proposition, another bond resolution, is asking voters' approval to bond money for the Audubon Golf Course, located at 500 Maple Road. The exact wording is: "Authorizing the issuance of $3,100,000 bonds to finance the construction of improvements at the Audubon Golf Course."

The third proposition is to create a local law regarding the position of deputy supervisor. Residents will be asked if the deputy must be a member of the Amherst Town Board. The exact wording is: "Allowing the supervisor of the Town of Amherst to appoint the Deputy Supervisor only from among the elected members of the Town Board."

Erie County

In Western New York, the biggest race in 2007 has been for Erie County executive. After a heated primary election, and Paul Clark's decision to drop out of the contest, the race is down to two men - Chris Collins and James Keane.

Collins is the endorsed Republican candidate and is also on the Taxpayers First line. Keane is the endorsed Democratic, Conservative and Working Families candidate.

Clark remains on the ballot's Independence line, but he withdrew from the race following his loss in the Democratic primary and threw his support to Keane.

The winner will take the four-year term, which has been held by Joel Giambra for the past eight years.

The county clerk race is between incumbent Kathy C. Hochul, who is on the Democratic, Independence, Conservative and Working Families lines, and challenger O'Loughlin, representing the Republican and Taxpayers First parties.

O'Loughlin has been serving as a Town Board member for the past four years.

Three candidates are vying for a 10-year term as Erie County judge: incumbent Tim Franczyk, who has the Democratic, Independence and Conservative lines; Molly Gondek Musarra, on the Republican and Taxpayers First lines; and James A. W. McLeod, on the Working Families line.

Also, five candidates are running for three 14-year terms as justice of the Supreme Court. They are Rose H. Sconiers and Frank Caruso, both Democrat, Republican, Independence, Conservative and Working Families; James H. Dillon, Democrat, Independence and Conservative; Brian D. Doyle, Republican; and Lynn A Clark, Working Families.

Residents will also vote for representatives from their districts. Legislators' seats are for two years.

After 10 years of service, Dr. Barry Weinstein is not seeking re-election to his legislative seat because of his candidacy for the Amherst Town Board.

Seeking the seat for the 15th District, which represents Williamsville and the majority of Amherst, are Edward Rath III and Cheryl K. Whitehead.

Rath received the endorsements of the Republican, Conservative and Independence parties. Whitehead is endorsed by the Democratic Party.

The 14th District's incumbent, Thomas A. Loughran, is seeking re-election on the Democratic, Conservative, Independence and Working Families lines. He is being challenged by Republican-endorsed Bradley W. Rowles.

The 14th District encompasses the southwest section of Amherst.

The 4th District's incumbent, Michael H. Ranzenhofer, is also seeking re-election. He is running on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines. The challenger, Alan J. Bedenko is running on the Democratic line.

The 4th District includes the east portion of Amherst, near Transit Road.

For information, call the Erie County Board of Elections at 858-8891, or the Amherst Town Clerk, 631-7021.