County Board contest could be close

By KEVIN LIMITI • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

The race for Otsego County Board of Representatives District 3, which covers Laurens and Otego, could stand among the more competitive contests on November 2.

Republican incumbent Richard Brockway once again faces off against Democrat Caitlin Ogden in a repeat of their 2019 campaign for the seat.

Brockway said he wants to keep taxes down and improve infrastructure such as roads and bridges.

“I want to keep taxes as low as possible for my constituents and really everybody,” he said. “Right now, Otsego County has the lowest taxes in New York State.”

Ogden said she wants to work with the county to “grow new commercial enterprises” using small grant programs.

She said her experience as a board member of Film Coop shows how the county can be helpful with such projects.

Brockway touted his work on the Board of Representatives in creating a countywide ambulance service, including the purchase of two new ambulances. He cited an incident in which a man had a heart attack in Otego and it took more than an hour before an ambulance got to him.

“I worked my best on that front and helped get that going,” Brockway said.

Ogden stressed the need for the county board to come together and pass measures that would benefit the county as a whole, including rural broadband.

“We have to put all our effort into it,” Ogden said, who explained that lack of broadband “really hampers students’ education.”

Both candidates were unsure about their chances during the election.

“You never know,” Brockway said. “I’ve been knocking on doors for a month. (My supporters) can’t take it for granted that I’m going to win because I have a picture in the paper. If it ends up that I don’t, well, my family gave 77 years to the county.”

Brockway’s father, Jesse Brockway, was supervisor and councilmember for the town of Laurens for more than 50 years and his wife, Patricia, was a town justice in Laurens for eight and supervisor for four.

Ogden said she didn’t want to make predictions.

“It’s really going to come down to voter engagement,” Ogden said. “It could go a lot of ways.”