Letter from Austin L. Partridge

My Vote Is for Stalter

On Saturday, June 13, I met with Republican candidate for Otsego County sheriff Sergeant Mike Stalter to discuss the critical issues our local communities face, ranging from the terrible drug epidemic plaguing our families and neighborhoods to the difficulties our law enforcement departments face in carrying out their duties amidst former Governor Cuomo’s disastrous bail reform law. Upstate New Yorkers, especially here in Otsego County, have been grappling with rural decay for decades and it affects us all.

We all see the homelessness, the drug abuse, the rampant thefts and the domestic violence that disproportionately destroy the lives of children. Otsego County requires strong leadership in order to tackle these very serious issues, and in recognition of events unfolding at our county jail and the current state of our Sheriff’s Office—marked by what appears to be rampant scandal, corruption, and mismanagement—I cannot support our current leadership.

Mike Stalter has served honorably in law enforcement for over 20 years, and has seen first-hand, in gruesome detail, how difficult it is to confront these crimes. Mike’s record has proven his reputation as an honest cop, and he would certainly never consider himself a politician. He has chosen to step out of retirement and run for sheriff, not for money or recognition, but out of genuine concern for the department he served for decades, and for the honest, hard-working people of Otsego County.

It is with great pleasure that I announce my full support and formal endorsement, as the Republican supervisor of the Town of Milford, for Sergeant Mike Stalter. It is also with great urgency that I ask my fellow Republicans to step forward and cast your ballot for genuine change that our Sheriff’s Office so desperately requires. Enough is enough. Vote Michael J. Stalter on June 23 as your Republican candidate for the General Election this fall.

Austin L. Partridge
Milford Town Supervisor