Write-in Candidate Challenges Garretson after Two Decades as Town Supervisor

By JOSHUA YOUNGQUIST
CHERRY VALLEY

Cherry Valley resident Jordan Nott says he never planned to run for town supervisor. But after attending a July town board meeting and hearing incumbent Thomas Garretson reject the idea of pursuing state grants to help stabilize the financially struggling Cherry Valley Health Center, he decided the town needed another option—and became what many locals say is Garretson’s first challenger in roughly 20 years.

“I made a decision very late in the process in July to just at least throw my name out there,” Nott said. “Everyone that I talked to said no one had ever run against him.”

Garretson, who has served as supervisor for two decades, did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

The town run health center—operated through a contract with Bassett Healthcare—has become the defining issue of the race. Nott said the center is operating with a roughly $250,000.00 annual deficit, a financial strain that has contributed to steep tax increases and mounting frustration among residents.

“It’s not nearly covering its expenses with the revenue that it’s bringing in,” he said. “The town has been funding that gap.”

The center’s structure adds complexity: It cannot turn away patients based on residency, nor can it charge more for out of town patients.

“It benefits local Cherry Valley residents, but it’s also costing Cherry Valley residents to provide services to other communities,” Nott said.

He believes the town has not exercised enough oversight: “I think he hasn’t been particularly active in finding solutions for it.”

The moment that pushed Nott toward running came when county representative Leslie Berliant proposed gathering town supervisors to discuss potential state grant funding. Nott asked Garretson whether he planned to attend.

“His response was, ‘Well, do you want to go to the meeting?’” Nott recalled. “I said I would love to go, but I’m not the intended audience—I’m not a town supervisor.”

Garretson then told him he does not support grants, arguing they simply shift costs to state taxpayers. Nott said he understands the philosophy but believes it’s impractical for a small town facing serious financial strain.

“It is the system that we live in,” Nott said. “The objective of a town supervisor should be to bring in revenue from whatever source they can find. You may not like the game, but it’s the game we’re playing.”

Nott, who is endorsed by the Democratic Party but not registered with either major party, describes himself as a centrist focused on local needs rather than partisan politics.

“In a town this small, I don’t want to bring party politics into it,” he said. “The roads have to get paved. The health center is the biggest line item in the budget. We’ve got to make sure that’s on solid ground.”

Nott has spent recent weekends speaking with residents at the town’s waste management site, known locally as “the dump,” where he says he’s met people across the political spectrum who are frustrated with the health center’s finances and the lack of change.

“I’m realistic as a write in candidate,” he said. “I don’t know that I’ll win, but I’m running to meet people in the community and get people thinking about what other options they may have.”

If elected, Nott said his first priority would be greater oversight of the health center, including attending every meeting of the Health Center Oversight Committee—something he says, to his knowledge, the current supervisor has not done.

He also supports exploring new revenue generating services, including mental healthcare and telehealth.

“One of the ideas I love is expanding to include mental health services,” he said. “Primary care is not particularly profitable. Mental health care actually is.”

He also plans to advocate for state funding opportunities, including the NY Forward revitalization grant, for which the village and town have recently begun preparing an application.

Nott said he has not met anyone “adamantly for things the way they are now,” and believes residents across political lines recognize the need for new energy and oversight.

“There was a 40 percent tax hike in 2025,” he said. “People are upset about the tax bill, and people are worried about losing their primary care. Both positions are right.”

A joint meeting between the Cherry Valley Town Board and the Health Center Oversight Committee is scheduled for Thursday, October 29, which Nott expects to be a pivotal moment.

“I think people are ready for some type of change at the town level,” he said.