Campaign financial disclosure forms revealed the big spenders and one discrepancy in the 2019 Village of Montgomery elections, in which all incumbents swept open positions.

Trustees Darlene Andolsek and JoAnn Scheels and mayor Stephen Brescia all filed their contributions and expenses under the Brescia for Mayor authorized single candidate committee. Cheryl Couser, New York State Board of Elections (NYSBOE) Deputy Public Information Officer, said only one candidate is allowed to file their financial disclosure form under an authorized single candidate committee, which in this case would be Stephen Brescia.

Village Clerk Monserrate Rivera-Fernandez said the two trustees authorized the honest party committee to file their contributions and expenses for them, which are included in the Brescia for Mayor form.

While Couser said candidates may authorize a party committee to file for them, the honest party committee is not a NYSBOE-recognized party, and cannot file for Scheels and Andolsek.

If the trustees’ expenditures or contributions totaled more than $1,000 each, they would be required to file a financial disclosure form with the NYSBOE, Couser said. There were no records with the NYSBOE for Darlene Andolsek or JoAnn Scheels.

Couser said if the trustees’ expenditures or contributions totaled less than $1,000 each, they would only be required to file an in-lieu-of statement with Rivera-Fernandez or a no-activity report. There are no records at the village level for Darlene Andolsek or JoAnn Scheels.

Brescia’s said his treasurer, Ronald Clum, CPA, assured him the disclosure forms were being filed correctly and if there were any mistakes, it was not a deliberate deception.

“We probably should have done it separately, or together as one, but that’s the only mistake we made,” Brescia said. “There was no deception.”

The Brescia for Mayor committee spent $6,179 on the campaign and received $9,775 in contributions, leaving a $3,596 balance as of March 26, according to NYSBOE financial disclosure forms.

Some notable contributions include a donation from Kevin Dowd, village attorney, for $100. Lanc & Tully Engineering & Surveying P.C, village engineer, donated $180. Engineering & Surveying Properties, P.C., whose engineers consulted with the City Winery project, donated $150. City Winery was approved on Feb. 27.

Couser said there are no laws limiting which individuals or businesses can contribute to a campaign. 

In comparison, Don Berger, former candidate for trustee, spent only $165. Maria Beltrametti, former candidate for mayor, spent $100 for signs, according to financial disclosure forms filed with the village.

In the 2017 election, Berger’s CF-05 financial disclosure only claimed $725 in expenses for mailers. However, Berger placed two advertisements with the Wallkill Valley Times, which cost $795 and were not claimed as a separate line item on the disclosure form.

In that election, Berger also filed an in-lieu-of statement claiming he spent less than $1,000 and did not file a financial disclosure form with the state, which is required when expenditures or contributions are more than $1,000. Berger ran for trustee in 2017 and lost.

Berger said it was his first election, and if he made a mistake, he was simply following the instructions of Rivera-Fernandez.

While the biggest spender won the trustee and mayoral elections, the same did not hold true for the village justice race.

Tina Fassnacht, the winner of the race, and Joe Marrero, former justice candidate, both filed an in-lieu-of-statement with the village, meaning neither their expenditures nor contributions totaled more than $1,000.

John “Jack” Byrnes, the third justice candidate, spent $5,795, including $1,380 on alcohol for a fundraiser. He received $3,162 in contributions.

Byrnes’ biggest contributions included $500 from Montgomery Self Storage, $1,000 from John O’Brien and $1,000 from John Ellis. Trustee Michael Hembury also donated $25.