ANDREW STAMMEL
CANDIDATE FOR OTSEGO COUNTY BOARD, DISTRICT 4
RESIDENCE: Town of Oneonta – West End
EDUCATION: Syracuse University College of Law, Juris Doctor; Muhlenberg College; Bachelor of Arts; Stamford Central School; Regents Diploma (Salutatorian)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Attorney/Business Owner: I was admitted to the NYS Bar upon successfully taking the exam in August 2008, my first attempt. I previously was an associate in another nearby law firm before striking out on my own and founding my firm in early 2011. My practice is located on Chestnut St in the City and serves local residents on a wide range of matters. In addition to regularly arguing cases in our local and County courts, I’ve also successfully argued in 3 of NY State’s 4 Appellate Divisions, as well as in the United States District Court.
SUNY Oneonta Administrator: Since 2012 I have also served as a part-time administrator at the College, acting as a resource to students and employees, as well as ensuring that the College is compliant with education and employment law. During my employment, I have led efforts to develop a Comprehensive Sexual Misconduct Policy, a Consensual Relationship Policy, and Grievance Policy/Procedures. As Title IX Coordinator, I am ultimately responsible for the implementation of the College’s prevention and response to issues of Sexual Assault, an area of quickly developing law and policy.
Delaware County Dept of Social Services: Prior to my admission to the NYS Bar, I served briefly as a Child Protective Caseworker in Delhi, fighting for our families and children.
Americorps: After College I served a year of full time community service work, based in Delhi, and serving Otsego and Delaware Counties. We provided environmental and outdoor education to local families and school children and also engaged in manual labor, maintaining and building our area’s vast network of parks and trails. Our group also offered flood relief and community beautification efforts.
Henderson Scout Reservation: My first job as an adolescent was working at the Boy Scout camp on Crumhorn Mountain in Milford. The lessons I learned and friends I made there follow me to today.
COMMUNITY/POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT:
As discussed in the above answer, I have had service jobs in our community in the past, including Americorps, DSS, and Scout Camp. These are low paid jobs that provide real services to our community. From a young age I was taught the importance of community service and have been active in various groups ever since. In Stamford I was active in school, Church, and Scouting. In Oneonta I have embraced a leadership role in the Oneonta Rotary Club, chairing the Youth Exchange Program. I also serve on the Board of Directors of the ARC Otsego and hold membership or have volunteered with many local groups including the Otschodela Council BSA, Oneonta Family YMCA, Otsego County Chamber of Commerce, the Hanford Mills Museum, West Kortright Center, and Orpheus Theatre. Being active in local government as an Oneonta Town Councilman and Deputy Supervisor has been another way to apply my efforts toward community service and improvement. I have been the Chair of Highway, Sewer, Water Committee; Chair of Town Watershed Protection District Task Force; was an Inclusive Oneonta Town and City 2014 Summit Planner; Serve on the Otsego County Opiate Task Force; am a Member of Personnel and Public Safety Committees; Attended New York State Comptroller Local Government Training Institute and Association of Towns Conference; and attend local economic development meetings and conferences.
FAMILY: Married, no children. My extended family live in Oneonta, Stamford, and Harpersfield and are also involved with regional community service efforts.
IN TWO OR THREE SENTENCES, EXPLAIN YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF GOVERNMENT.
In a representative Democracy, our elected officials have a duty to put the best interests of the citizens before their own and to balance various competing interests in order to promote the greatest good for the greatest number, without violating the rights of those left in the minority. In some situations, the government may be the primary driver of progress, such as with our victory in WWII or with the successful Apollo program but, more often, our government should engage in public-private partnerships and create the conditions that allow for capitalism and progress to occur without creating unnecessary damage to citizens or the community. Yes, leaders must give voice to the people but they also must temper those passions by thoughtfully weighing all perspectives and determining how a current issue fits into the long term direction and arc of progress of the polity.
WHAT ARE THE THREE MAJOR ISSUES THE OTSEGO COUNTY BOARD OF REPRESENTATIVES FACES, AND HOW WOULD YOU ADDRESS THEM?
- Economic Development: Oneonta’s economy has underperformed for decades, yet the County Board fails to take decisive action. Experts have urged Otsego County to support a “single point of contact” model of economic development. Otsego Now is that effort and it should be supported. But any future CEO vacancy should only be filled after an impartial, transparent nation-wide search and PILOT payments should be used cautiously. On the Town Board I supported a memorandum of understanding empowering the County’s single point of contact and the IDA. Our County Board needs to get behind this effort. The County has had difficulty giving up its Ec Deve fiefdom. But if they are not going to support Otsego Now, they should at least get out of the way. In last week’s debate I brought up the fact that the County website has a dead link labeled “Economic Development” and the implications of the same. Thankfully, the next morning someone in the County had fixed the link and linked it to the Planning Dept. But if it was that easy a fix, why had no one on the County Board realized this issue and made the change?
Companies will pass over Otsego County for investment if we don’t have shovel-ready sites where they can break ground in 30-60 days. Otsego County’s first shovel ready site has been approved in the Town of Oneonta and the Town government has assisted in this process. The County needs to offer more support to communities and Otsego Now in the development of shovel-ready sites.
Support Local Development Groups: Groups like Destination Oneonta and the County’s privatized tourism group, Destination Marketing of Otsego, are independent entities working to improve the economy of Oneonta and Otsego County. On the Town Board, we have financially supported DO in their local development efforts. The County needs to get behind these kinds of efforts and support the best ideas that come from the grass roots and other private entities.
The Colleges are economic engines in Oneonta, even more so with the initiation of Start-UP New York. As an administrator at one of the colleges, I see firsthand their efforts and talent. There is a huge untapped workforce of qualified young employees who we must give a reason to stay here. The County needs to support more collaboration with the colleges and keep more talented young people here.
Workforce training must be expanded and we must link our schools and College’s into the regional STEM hubs. I recently attended a SUNY wide STEM conference that discussed issued related to this. These are the good paying jobs of the future and must be supported, particularly as we are now lumped in with the MVEDC.
Planning is Essential. Everyone knows that long term, big-picture planning is essential to success in any large endeavor. Why hasn’t the County Board engaged in comprehensive or strategic planning? On the Town Board we adopted the first comprehensive plan since 1998. The County needs to support Towns in their development of plans and finally develop its own plan and update it regularly. Plans must be grounded in real and current data. Unfortunately, the County’s only strategic planning attempted during this term is a last minute election year scramble hired out to an expensive out of the area consultant. We cannot fully succeed without thorough locally based planning. The County is a collection of very different towns. It needs to identify the strengths of various areas and develop them. New and existing industries can be nurtured with infrastructure and other forms of support but must first be identified and supported locally.
Receive More Grants. The Town has been very successful in winning grants but Otsego County needs a more coordinated effort. State and Federal grant funding is essential to any local or County development. Otsego County will fare very badly if we do not relate our proposed projects and grant applications back to comprehensive planning. Particularly with the CFA funding, Otsego has been at a disadvantage competing with larger municipalities in the Mohawk Valley.
Universal Broadband. The County needs to move into the 21st century. With broadband internet, budding entrepreneurs can have successful businesses even in the most rural corners of the County. But the infrastructure needs to be finished first. This is long overdue.
Railyards Bridge. A new bridge connecting the Oneonta Railyards to River Street/Exit 13 would be a boon to the Oneonta area. Not only would it enable economic development of the long underused property but it would restore a crucial connection between the West End and the Sixth Ward. This could greatly ease traffic congestion on Chestnut Street and Route 205.
Water and Sewer Expansion. On the Town Board we have worked to create the Southside Water District which would be the biggest Town infrastructure improvement in decades and which will bring clean and plentiful water to thousands of residents and visitors as well as expand the Town/School tax base, saving us all in taxes. The County Representatives have been short sighted in not supporting this project and should be more supportive of similar projects in the future.
- Heroin/Opiate Crisis:
The County has not been engaged in combating the greatest public health and criminal crisis Otsego has faced in decades. Heroin addiction and the issues associated with it negatively affect all communities. Our jails are strained with the numbers of arrests and our young people continue to die. The County must support the Otsego County Opiate Task Force and other similar efforts. I’ve served on the Task Force since January and was flabbergasted to see that there was no Board representation on the Task Force. A study of the Board and Cmte minutes show that the term Opiate Task Force was not uttered in the Health and Education Cmte until August and not mentioned at a Board meeting until September. Where is the awareness and engagement?
The Task Force is instituting valuable initiatives providing educations, early intervention, and encouraging collaboration between mental health, law enforcement, educators, addicts, and government. It needs to be supported financially and organizationally. The future payoff will be massive.
- Government Reform:
Increase Bi-Partisanship: On the Town Board we have shown how adults are supposed to govern. The County Board has an obligation to represent the residents of the districts and not a party or special interests. On the Town Board, I have collaborated with Republicans and Independents and have appointed people of both major parties. Our residents don’t care about nasty party politics. They just want us to get the job done.
County Manager: Otsego County is one of the few counties left in New York without professional management. This has led to the County Board expending all of its efforts on day to day issues instead of big picture thinking. A full time manager will help Otsego receive grants and will pay for itself. It will also be a more efficient and cost effective strategy than the Board’s current practice of paying outside consultants tens of thousands of dollars every time a major project or analysis is proposed.
Reform County Board Benefits: The County Board is a collection of part-time public servants paid in the neighborhood of $10,000/yr. Yet after five years they receive health insurance benefits for life! These absurd lifetime benefits need to end. This is not what residents thought they were voting for.
Reform County Board Chairmanship: The Chair of the County Board has been given too much power. The Representatives are elected as a board of equals who then choose an individual with the power to select all committee chairs and membership and may take out any personal or partisan animus in the process. The power should return to the Board and the people.
Change Meeting Schedules: The Board and Committees typically meet in the middle of workdays. This limits transparency and public participation. It also limits who can run for Representative positions to those who are retired, unemployed, or self-employed. The County needs transparent evening meetings like the Town of Oneonta. Transparent governments better represent the people.
Term Limits: County Representatives should not be elected for life. A term limit of 10 years is appropriate to keep representation fresh and in touch with the people.
Explore Board Reorganization: The County Board should reduce the number of representatives on the Board. This will save taxpayers money.
Municipal and School Consolidation: City residents repeatedly suggest a Town-City consolidation. This has been explored by multiple studies. It is simply not in the best interests of our residents and I oppose it. It’s time to expand this conversation to areas of the County where it may help. The County has 24 Towns, each with its own Town Supervisor, Board, Court, and highway department. The County needs to lead the conversation to urge the consolidation and elimination of some of those smaller rural towns and school districts.
Shared Services: The County needs to lead the effort to determine how different municipalities can share services. The Town and City have shown that shared services can lead to greater efficiency and savings for taxpayers. Otsego County must support other municipalities in this endeavor.
Look Elsewhere for Cuts: While the Board must seek savings in the County’s budget, it seems all of the cuts in recent years have been borne by our senior citizens, whether it’s the sale of the Manor or switching from hot to frozen meals. It’s time to look elsewhere for savings: perhaps at the Board’s own benefits package.
WHAT QUALITIES/EXPERIENCE DO YOU HAVE THAT MAKES YOU THE BETTER CHOICE IN THIS RACE
Elections in a democracy should always be a choice. Too often in local races, candidates run unopposed or merely coast to re-election based upon their last name or personal popularity. If the issues and records of the candidates are never substantively discussed, a huge disservice has been done to the community. I believe a clear-eyed look at the background and record of the Rep Quackenbush and myself show a clear distinction and that I am the best equipped to represent our residents and to move our Town and County forward.
Rep. Hurley Quackenbush is a nice person and I, and many others, like her personally. But there cannot be a bigger difference in how we have approached our jobs. That is what these positions are: jobs. Yes, they are only part-time jobs but they should be approached with a level of seriousness and professionalism that has been lacking in the incumbent. The incumbent has been in local politics for about 17 years and should be able to point to a solid record of accomplishments but we hear only about work on a town park a decade ago and false claims that she is “holding the line on taxes” and “has delivered $30,000 in bed tax to the Town”. At this point in her career, the incumbent has collected approximately $80,000 in taxpayer salary and more in benefits. People want to know what they’ve been paying for.
Yes, I have only been on the Town Board for two years but I hit the ground running and have worked hard every day to deliver the results our residents need. I voted with our Town Board to approve the first Comprehensive Plan since 1998. This document is a clear blueprint for moving our Town into the future. It describes how we can build our economy without undue damage to the environment and our neighborhoods and quality of life. During her entire time on the Board, the incumbent failed to adopt a Plan update, violating best practices. If these documents are not updated every 3 to 5 years, a Town is left without adequate direction and guidance.
I voted with our Board to ban fracking, putting to rest an issue that had been festering in the town for about three years. The incumbent exacerbated this crisis by failing to take a clear position on the matter and voting for one moratorium after another, just kicking the can down the road, forcing others to take responsibility for making a decision. That lingering debate took up all of the oxygen in the Town for years and injected unnecessary hostility and dysfunction into the government. If Quackenbush truly opposed fracking, as she claims with some audiences, she should have stood by her convictions and voted for a ban, ending the crisis.
I voted with the Board to impose common sense protections for our municipal drinking water and roads. Both of these reforms were supported by our residents and were inexplicably blocked by Quackenbush on the Town Board. We passed a road use law which will regulate outside companies and hold them responsible for damage to our roads instead of footing our taxpayers with the bill. This law is a common sense method of protecting our residents from possibly damage in the event that the pipeline developers begin construction. In fact, I sat across the table from representatives of the pipeline company and discussed which Town roads they may use and the implications of our law. The incumbent was absent from these discussions. This year we passed a law which will protect Wilbur Lake and the Lower Reservoir- protecting the primary source of drinking water for all residents of the City of Oneonta and many in the Town. The law also protects several town-located wells. The incumbent previously blocked this common sense reform.
I am proud of the work the Town has done on the Southside water district. I realize that this paper has not been especially supportive of the project but our residents and businesses have an immediate need to replace their tainted water and to improve their volume. I researched the matter extensively and found our plan to be the most efficient and cost-effective manner of meeting the need. I stood by my convictions and risked my own political standing in order to promote the project and to build consensus. Trish Riddell Kent and I knocked on all of our residents’ doors, which resulted in a majority of residents supporting the project. Although Rep Quackenbush privately claims to be in support of the project, she has not shown leadership. She was not involved in the petitioning process; did not publicly attempt to influence opinion; and made no attempt to secure a grant from the County as our former Rep. Murphy had. This is another example of lack of engagement and effort.
I’m proud of my fiscal responsibility on the Town Board. I eliminated unnecessary spending and voted against any tax increases or raises for elected officials while the incumbent raised taxes 3 of her last 5 years on the Board.
Rep. Quackenbush had three other opportunities to demonstrate leadership over the past two years and she avoided it. On the proposed Hemlock Road trailer park, she failed to take a public position, leaving our residents in the lurch. The City merger issue came up again this year and injected massive strife into our Town. Although the incumbent tried to take credit for being against merger, she was substantively absent from this summer’s discussions.
The bed tax issue is the most glaring recent example of political posturing and failed leadership. The 2014 Democratic bed tax proposal was supported by our Town government, primarily Bob Wood. It was a sensible means of bringing money back to our Town to help with infrastructure issues. We petitioned Rep. Quackenbush extensively throughout the summer and fall urging support of the reform. She failed to take any position and we were left guessing what her vote would be until the final moment. While she ultimately voted for the measure, it failed for partisan reasons, costing our Town $30,000. If she has actively led by proposing an amendment or trying to sway one of her colleagues, the measure could have passed. Then, cynically, a nearly identical bill was proposed in 2015, an election year, and some of the same people who voted down the original now take credit for the reform as “co-authors.” I am thankful the reform has passed, imperfect as it may be. But to date, zero monies have been received by the Town of Oneonta and it is likely, given the current budget woes, that they never will be. This is a prime example of politicians playing political games and not putting the residents first.
So, I have delivered on issues where the incumbent has been absent or wishy-washy. It speaks to our level of engagement and leadership. Every day I wake up thinking about what I can do to move our Town forward and how my skills can be applied to our community. This requires hard work and risk taking. Showing leadership is risky. It opens you up to attacks, some of them personal. But our citizens deserve someone who is willing to take a principled stand in order to promote our community’s welfare. Sitting back and letting others do the work then later taking credit for it is the opposite of leadership. The level of passivity and disengagement is unacceptable.
Lastly, there is a significant difference between Rep Quackenbush and myself that has been on display in recent weeks during the campaign. There has been a tendency by her campaign to engage in personal attacks and innuendo that I believe have no place in politics, particularly local politics. Throughout my campaign and during my term, I speak about the issues and try to rationally discuss points. The incumbent has issued numerous mailers that, in addition to making the false claim that she delivered bed tax funds, rely almost entirely on unsupported personal attacks. Most recently, Quackenbush has mailed a flyer to all residents saying that she is “one of us” and “shares our value”, the implication of course is that I do not. This kind of unsupported innuendo can mean different things to different people: I know exactly what it means to me. She has also politicked suggesting I am not a “true lifetime resident” and suggesting that I plan to leave Oneonta for the next best thing. In reality, I was born in Oneonta and have spent my life residing within 25 miles of here. I plan to remain here at least until retirement. But aside from the inaccuracy of the claims, I’m concerned with the character of them. It is part of a pattern that some continue to use of turning people into the “other” and trying to discourage anyone who doesn’t look or think exactly like “us”, whatever that means. This is the type of mentality that maintains a stagnant status quo. How will national or international businesses or young professionals ever locate to our area if we continue to tell them they aren’t welcome? How will our economy and government ever improve if we say that new ideas and perspectives have no place? This sort of invective does a disservice to the community and will keep us from moving into a brighter future. It also suggests a lack of integrity. I will not engage in negative personal campaigning either running for office or while in it. The residents want to hear about the issues and challenges we face and that’s what I will talk about. If campaigning requires me to engage in questionable innuendo and mudslinging, then the job is not worth it to me. Maintaining my character and integrity is more important.
Professionally, I believe my background better equips me to serve in this capacity. As an attorney and administrator, I spend my life studying and understanding laws and working on policy. Representing constituents is also very similar to representing clients. You need to understand their needs and concerns then put it through a lens of the law and what can be done. Then you need to research an issue and advocate and show leadership in regard to your position on the issue. My job also requires a high degree of collaboration and consensus building.
So, in short, my commitment to our area and to community and public service in general, coupled with my professional experience and abilities and willingness to work hard and approach every challenge with an open mind and to maintain civility and integrity, make me the best qualified candidate.
IS THERE A STATEMENT YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH VOTERS?
The Oneonta area has always been my home. I love this place and the people who live here. I truly believe we have so much untapped potential waiting to be unleashed. It is disappointing to see long term incumbents who prefer to maintain the status quo and work harder to protect their own political standing than taking the necessary risks to move us forward. I know we can do this but we need real independent leadership and hard work. Thank you so much for your consideration and all of the support you’ve give me over the past two years. You are always welcome to contact me with questions and concerns.