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5-31-2007 By TOM GRACE The Daily Star All the rest, except Martha Stayton, DOneonta, and Rudolph Laguna Jr., D-Oneonta, have indicated they will run for another twoyear term. Stayton, who was elected in District 11 last year, said Tuesday she will disclose her plans soon. Laguna, who chairs the county's Otsego Manor Committee, said, "I plan to make a decision by the end of the week." Four people in three districts have stepped forward to challenge incumbents, with the latest being Democrat Ed Gifford of Unadilla, who announced his candidacy Tuesday. Gifford, 60, a retired public-works director, is seeking the District 1 seat held by Greg Relic, R-Unadilla, who chairs the county's Solid Waste Committee. A 1966 graduate of Bainbridge Guilford Central School, Gifford told The Daily Star on Tuesday that he favors having the county establish a county manager to oversee day-to-day operations. "I think it's difficult for people who have full-time jobs to manage an operation as large as Otsego County," he said. Gifford grew up in the area, then after college, moved to work for the Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. and later, the city of Naperville, Ill. While in Naperville, he oversaw a $29 million budget, he said Tuesday. Naperville has an appointed manager, who serves at the pleasure of an elected board, and Gifford said he found the system worked well. He said he was prompted to run for the Otsego County Board this year in part because of the board's handling of the 2007 budget, which mistakenly raised property taxes 22 percent. Gifford, who moved back to the area a few years ago, has a platform that calls for strict budget oversight and more long-range planning. Relic, 58, said he was "not surprised" by Gifford's challenge. In his third two-year term, Relic is the sole Republican member of the county's Administration Committee and one of two board members to vote against the 2007 budget. When told that Gifford supports having a county manager, Relic noted that in a report on the subject done last year, consultant David Brenner said a newly hired manager would have a hard time working for a divided board. "The board is quite divided on that now," he said. Relic, who operates G&M Machining in Unadilla, agreed the county board needs more control over the budget and said it has taken steps in that direction. "We're going to include all the board members in the process this year, and we're also incorporating some of the changes that were made last year," he said. Three other challengers to incumbents stepped forward earlier this month. Oneonta Town Councilman Richard Murphy, a Democrat, is running in District 4, the town of Oneonta, against Republican Hugh Henderson, who is completing his 12th term in Cooperstown. And in District 7, Cherry Valley, Middlefield and Roseboom, two Republican challengers, Charles Christman and Sam Dubben, have launched campaigns for a seat held by firstterm Democrat Philip Durkin. Christman is the county's former social services commissioner, and Dubben is a former county board member who lost a close election to Durkin two years ago. Durkin is seeking reelection. On Tuesday, Rep. Ronald Feldstein, DOtego, the board's vice chair, said he will seek re-election to the District 3 seat, Laurens- Otego. Feldstein, 61, chairs the county's Administration Committee and is completing his fifth term on the board. He also called for the county to establish a manager's post. "Our fiscal house must be put in order. We are in dire need strategic and comprehensive planning. Without competent, experienced professional administration, the recent personnel and financial troubles will become all too frequent and far more serious. And this will insure reckless spending and higher taxes," he said in a prepared statement. Voters in the county also will elect a district attorney and county clerk this year. Earlier this month, the county's Republican Committee endorsed the candidacies of the two first-term incumbents, District Attorney John Muehl and Clerk Kathy Sinnott-Gardner. No Democrat has announced plans to run against either incumbent. |
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