By EMILIA TEASDALE
GHENT—The four villages in the county will hold elections on Tuesday, March 19. In three of the villages there are only trustee openings and Chatham, Valatie and Philmont candidates are running unopposed. In Kinderhook, there will be a new mayor and four people are running for two open seats on the board.
Voters can write-in candidates on election day and on absentee ballots.
Village races:
•In Chatham, the only village where the elections are run by the county Board of Elections, current Village trustees Melony Spock and Karyn Schassler are both running for reelection. Both are running on the Chatham Works Together ballot line and both trustee terms are for two years.
Voting will take place in the Tracy Memorial Village Hall, 77 Main Street, from noon to 9 p.m. Information on voting is on the village website at villageofchatham.com and the county Board of Elections website at www.columbiacountyny.com
•In Kinderhook, current Village Mayor Michael Abrams is not running for reelection so on the ballot current Village Trustee Dorene M. Weir is running for mayor unopposed. The mayor is elected to a two-year term.
Four candidates are running for two open seats on the board. Ms. Weir’s and incumbent Susan Patterson’s terms are up. Ms. Patterson is running for reelection. T. Kevin Monahan, Astrid Montagano and Christopher van Moessner are also running. Both seats are two-year terms.
There is also a new candidate running unopposed for the Village Justice. Thomas Baumgartner is running for the post that has been held by David Dellehunt for many years.
Information is at villageofkinderhook.org
Elections will be held at the Village Hall, 6 Chatham Street, and polls will be open from noon to 9 p.m.
•In Philmont, there are two trustee seats on the ballot. Incumbents Debra Gitterman and Douglas C. Cropper are running for reelection to two-year terms.
Voting in Philmont will be held at the Village Meeting Hall, 124 Main Street. Polls are open noon to 9 p.m. Information is on the village website at philmont.org
•In Valatie, two people are running for two open trustee seats. Incumbent Patrick Rogers and former trustee Amy Freinberg-Trufas are running for two-year terms. Current Trustee Angelo Nero is retiring this year and not running for a seat he has held for several terms.
Polls will be open from noon to 9 p.m. in the Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building, 3211 Church Street. The village website is www.valatievillage.com
