Two seats on the Cornwall-on-Hudson Board of Trustees are up for grabs and three candidates will be vying for votes on Tuesday: Brendan Coyne, Richard Gaillard, and James Kane. Voting will take place in the Edward C. Moulton, Jr. Board Room in Village Hall. Polls will be open from noon to 9 p.m.
Brendan Coyne
A 32-year resident of the village, Coyne is seeking to reclaim a seat on the board. He previously served 10 years as mayor. Coyne sat on the school board for nine years, three as president. He’s also volunteered with the Cornwall Independence Day Committee for 32 years, 28 as chair/vice chair. Coyne is a 38-year member of the Lions Club, initially in Newburgh before transferring to the Cornwall club. He has served as president of both.
Q: Why are you running for a seat on the board?
A: I am running for the village board to share my extensive experience as a community servant, and in local and state government, with my neighbors.
Q: What qualifications would you say make you a good candidate to represent the village residents?
A: My qualifications include: vision, energy, compassion, patience, open-mindedness, collaboration, civility, consensus building, listening skills, and negotiation skills.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish if elected?
A: I would like to improve our environment – building on our being the birthplace of the modern environmental movement; to improve our recycling program; to enhance our sense of community; to improve our commercial district; to find better ways to construct our roads.
Richard Gaillard
Gaillard is a 52-year resident of the village and is seeking his second two-year term on the board. He served as treasurer for Cornwall Youth Lacrosse for five years and is currently a member of the Cornwall Lions Club and acting liaison for the Storm King Engine Company.
Q: Why are you running for a seat on the board?
A: As a lifelong village resident, knowing the history, I want input to decisions that will keep the integrity of our wonderful surroundings.
Q: What qualifications would you say make you a good candidate to represent the village residents?
A: I know a lot of residents personally and am always interested in hearing their opinions. As a business owner I lend my expertise to the village budget and spending. Growing up in the village makes you have an appreciation for the beauty of it, so I have a personal interest in keeping it intact.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish if elected?
A: I hope to keep our board working together to accomplish goals that we all agree on. Most importantly I want the residents to know that they can always reach out to me, and see me as a voice of reason.
James Kane
Kane was first elected to office in 2010 and has served as deputy mayor the last three years. He moved to the village in 2001 and is a current member of American Legion Post 353.
Q: Why are you running for a seat on the board?
A: I am running for re-election to continue the balanced approach to village finances which have made us fiscally sound (reducing $12M in long/short term debt to about $2M), to continue focus on long term infrastructure improvements to our water systems, sidewalks and roadways, to ensure the Village Board works with our Donahue Farm Steering Committee to adopt prudent plans for improvements and use of Donahue Farm, and, lastly, practical improvements to our waterfront.
Q: What qualifications would you say make you a good candidate to represent the village residents?
A: My qualification is due to many factors including my varied work (NYC/NYS governments & private practice) and military (28 yrs. U.S. Army Reserve) experience, attentiveness, and open minded approach to solving Village issues and residents’ concerns. I consistently address matters in a collaborative manner with a focus on balancing legal and financial ramifications, residents’ opinions, and most importantly, the practical, common sense solution. I feel I have demonstrated this since first elected in 2010.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish if elected?
A: To continue to make appropriate improvements and uses of our waterfront for our residents to take advantage of, without ruining its undeveloped character and befitting the park’s unblemished beauty. To have the Village Board collaborate with the Donahue Farm Steering Committee in adopting a long term use plan that will make it one of the Village’s focal attractions giving reason to visit, experience our beautiful backyard while also patronizing local businesses.
