Gardiner Supervisor Marybeth Majestic is being challenged in a primary for the first time since she was first elected to the office in 2015.

Tim Hunter will take on Majestic in the June 27 Democratic primary. Early voting will be held June 18-25 in the Shawangunk Town Hall, 14 Center Avenue in Wallkill and at the New Paltz Community Center at 3 Veterans Drive, New Paltz.

Majestic will be seeking a fifth two-year term.

Hunter has only run for office once in 2007, finishing fifth in a six-person race for three seats in the Ulster County Legislature. He was 114 votes behind Republican Ken Ronk Jr., who captured the third seat.

Majestic and Hunter answered questions about their positions in separate interviews with the Wallkill Valley Times.

MARYBETH MAJESTIC
Majestic ran as a Republican in her first race, ousting Democratic incumbent Carl Zatz. She then beat Democratic candidate Lisa Lindsley by 20 votes in 2017.

Majestic was endorsed by Democrats in 2019 and 2021 and was unopposed. She has once again been endorsed by the Gardiner Democratic Committee in 2023 for another two-year term.

Majestic said it was difficult to narrow down the list of accomplishments during her eight years in office.

“What I’m most proud of are the infrastructure improvements,” she said. “Replacing the Clove Road Bridge, replacing the pavilion and basketball court at Majestic Park, and improvements to the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, including the new bridge at Forest Glen Road. Painting and repairs to the town hall building, new front and rear stairs, new energy efficient doors and (the) new RiverBend Trail at the transfer station. This year improvements will be made in the sewer district.”

Majestic said she was also proud that the Town Board updated the town’s Comprehensive Plan, finished the Natural Resource Inventory and enacted a one-time real estate transfer tax.

She said she was pleased with the work that has occurred with Gardiner’s Climate Smart Task Force, specifically the Trees for Tribs project at the transfer station, the Arbor Day tree plantings at the park and town hall, the Greenhouse Gas Inventory as well as Community Choice Aggregation and street light conversion.

“Working with our Open Space Commission we have monitored the town-held conservation easements to assure that they are maintained properly,” Majestic said.

The most important issue town officials face is dealing with the pressure of additional development in Gardiner, Majestic said.

“Gardiner is one of the most beautiful towns in Ulster County and we are just 75 miles from New York City, which presents quite a challenge,” she said.

Majestic said she feels as Town Supervisor she has listened to all sides of an issue and made “fair decisions based on the facts to benefit all of Gardiner.”

TIM HUNTER
A 20-year resident of Gardiner and a father of four children, Hunter is a telecom manager whose house on South Mountain Road is close to the Town Garage where the Town Board approved the construction of a second cell phone tower recently, which he opposed.

On one of his campaign mailings, Hunter said he was a “Real Democrat who supports the environment. Unlike my opponent, I am a lifelong Democrat, who has never run as a Republican.”

An environmental singer/songwriter, Hunter proudly said he used to sing with the legendary social activist and folk singer Pete Seeger on occasion.

Hunter, a member of the Gardiner Democratic Committee, said he abstained when a vote was taken to endorse Majestic this year.

“I didn’t want to make waves,” he said. “But I quit the committee the next day. If a committee isn’t paying attention to things that matter to the people, what’s the point of it.”

Hunter said Majestic ignored the pleas of many residents who opposed the construction of the cell tower. Town Highway Superintendent Brian Stiscia spoke against it, Hunter said.

“I’m not anti-cell,” Hunter said. “But the tower is going to go right over the highway department garage and our town highway superintendent was begging them not to put it there. He doesn’t want it over his equipment, their cars and his workers when the snow and ice is going to blow down. Not to mention, it’s going to mar the view of the (Shawangunk) Ridge. If Gardiner has anything, that’s what you’d think we’d protect.”

Hunter said Majestic voted to approve the cell tower even though there was overwhelming sentiment against it.

“There were 600 signatures on a petition (opposing the new tower) and probably 50 to 100 people speaking out publicly at planning board meetings and town board meetings,” Hunter said. “It seems to me the first and most important obligation of the supervisor is to look out for their employees. And he (Stiscia) was screaming ‘please don’t do this’ and they did it anyway.”

Hunter said he supports “smart development not overdevelopment. Our biggest business is tourism and we also have to support our farmers and other small businesspeople. And if we lose the character of Gardiner, we lose all three.”

Hunter said he would increase transparency and public discussion in town board meetings. He said that the public should be allowed to address the board at the beginning of the meetings rather than at the end of board meetings, which often last more than two hours.

“It’s been at the end of the meeting for eight years now under the same supervisor,” Hunter said. “I think it serves the purpose of moving the meeting along, but at what cost. We’re giving up inclusiveness and we’re giving up true public comment. And as a result, our initiatives won’t be as good.”

If elected, Hunter said he would consider a moratorium on major subdivision projects, advocate for affordable housing, see that town laws and codes are enforced, keep protections in place for the Ridge and sensitive ecosystems, modernize the operations of town business by making budgets and town taxes digital and recognize the right of homeowners to peace and quiet.

“I want what’s best for everybody and I always have,” he said.