Differences in helping local businesses, village spending, tractor trailer traffic and warehouse development highlighted the Village of Montgomery Trustee Candidates Night last week.

Incumbents Michael Hembury and Walter Lindner as well as challenger Don Berger participated in a candidates night Thursday evening at Montgomery Village Hall. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event was live-streamed on the Village of Montgomery Facebook page as well as the Residents Protecting Montgomery public group Facebook page.

Michael Hembury has been a village trustee since 2009. He has lived in the village for approximately 40 years and wants to contribute to its growth. Hembury is thoroughly invested in the village, as his children and grandchildren reside there.

“I’m here in this village to stay,” he said.

His contribution to the village that he is most proud of is helping to establish a village curfew. During Hembury’s time on the board, he helped establish the curfew, so children under the age of 16 cannot walk the streets in the early hours of the morning.

If re-elected, Hembury will make sure that the village stays affordable. Although the Village of Montgomery placed 74 of 39,000 in a 2019 survey of the safest villages in the U.S., he hopes safety can be improved. Hembury would like to make the village’s water tower light up for holidays, making the municipality more visually appealing. He hopes to establish a Halloween Train, in which candy would be collected for children in need. This is similar to the Toys for Tots Train in the village, a toy donation drive held each year during the Christmas season for families in need. Following the dedication of Veterans Corner, Hembury also aims to establish a First Responders Corner at the corner of Boyd Street and Goodwill Road.

“Young families moving here, the Hemburys are your future,” he said. “I pray that you have the same memories we have here, just like my daughters and my grandchildren and my sons-in-law.”

Lindner has served as a village trustee since late 2012, when he filled a vacancy. He has lived in the village for approximately 47 years, being involved in the community from the very start. Lindner has served on the village planning board and coached about 15 years of Little League Baseball as well as Catholic Youth Organization Basketball. He helped run Oktoberfest as well as the road race for the Holy Name of Mary-Assumption Church. Linder also helped organize concerts for the village’s 175th and 200th anniversary celebrations.

“My great honor has been to be a trustee for the last eight years,” he said. “In that time, Mike and I have both worked very hard to keep the village the way it has been and to look at intelligent growth where it happens.”

As a village trustee, Lindner is most proud of helping to design and build the bandstand on Clinton Street. He also ran the Taste of Montgomery, which helped raise money for the village’s restaurants.

One of Lindner’s main tasks over the past six months has been updating the village’s comprehensive plan. If re-elected, he hopes to revitalize the village’s downtown, as an addition to the comprehensive plan.

“It’s a multi-year plan. We’re looking at probably a 10-year, $10 million plan hopefully from CFA funding from the state to revitalize downtown,” Lindner said. “We’re starting on it shortly with money that we’re getting from Medline.”

As the board’s liaison to the Village of Montgomery Senior Center, he also hopes to build additional pickleball courts between the basketball courts and the picnic pavilion.

Don Berger is running for village trustee, as he wants to have an influence on development in the village. About three years ago, he helped found the citizens group Residents Protecting Montgomery (RPM) amid concerns that too many warehouses were coming to the town.

“We have the same thing happening here that happened in the town,” Berger said. “I would like to take the lead on proper development, smart development, development that fits our community. Not the type of development that happened outside the village limits here with Medline but smart development, residential development. I believe our village is no place to have warehouses. I believe that we should not have industrial development in the village borders at all. I think we can come up with a plan that’s suitable and will fit this community. We are a historic community and we should stay a historic community.”

In addition to his involvement with RPM, Berger is also proud of his time on the St. Pat’s Ramble Committee. He has helped organize the annual parade and 5K race, which has been enjoyed by many.

If elected, Berger aims to move the village forward. He hopes to get the youth more involved, so they can be part of the change.

“We have to be a little more futuristic,” he said. “I’m willing to do that. I’m willing to serve. I’m willing to put all the time in the world that’s necessary to make this village be a star.”

Each candidate suggested a different method in which the village can help out businesses during this difficult time. Hembury noted that if re-elected he would continue to promote businesses to new residents once they move in, something he currently does as a member of the village’s welcoming committee. As a trustee, Berger would reach out to small businesses to see what their needs are. He added that if elected, he would work with the Business Council of Greater Montgomery, to develop ways to support the village’s businesses. If re-elected, Lindner would have the village continue to host its annual summer concert series to attract people to the businesses downtown.

The candidates are seeking two open four-year terms that will run from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2025. The election will take place on Tuesday, March 16 at the Village of Montgomery Senior Center, 36 Bridge Street, Montgomery from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Voters must be registered as well as Village of Montgomery residents.