Residents crowded the Montgomery Senior Center last Sunday, March 3, and listened to their next potential mayor and trustee during the village’s 2024 Meet the Candidates, an event hosted by the Wallkill Valley Times that allowed four candidates to express their candidacies for the March 19 village election. In the upcoming village election, current Trustees Mike Hembury and Randi Picarello are vying for the chance to serve as mayor for the next three years, while Trustee Kevin Conero and Cynthia Nokland are competing for one open seat on the village board.

Carl Aiello, editor of the Wallkill Valley Times, hosted the session and provided several questions for the candidates to answer, along with many submitted by audience members. Through this format, the candidates painted pictures of their backgrounds, their qualifications, and how they would address pressing issues like water and development.

Here’s the breakdown of each candidate and what they had to say:

Mike Hembury for Mayor
Hembury, originally from the Bronx, is a 42-year village resident and retired police officer who moved to Orange County with his wife in 1981. He is experienced in law enforcement and was previously an officer for the City of Newburgh, a correction officer for facilities in Green Haven and Fishkill, and a senior investigator for the U.S. Mint Department of Treasury. Hembury has served the village as a trustee for 13 years and hopes to continue his efforts as mayor.

“My reason for running is to keep this village the jewel of the Hudson Valley. I moved here 42 years ago from the Bronx with my wife Sue, and this place is the place I used to dream of as a kid,” Hembury said. “Now I have people buy lottery tickets to have what I have, and I’m not about to let it fall apart.”

Hembury’s biggest priority is preserving the village’s rural beauty, quaint and cozy lifestyle, and status as one of the top 100 safest villages in the US. He is against overdevelopment and carefully considers applicants when they propose new projects. Over a year ago, he expressed concerns about housing and warehouse development and their effects on the village’s water supply.

“We find ourselves at a time where developers are trying to capitalize on a beautiful village for their own profit,” he said regarding development. “When a developer comes in front of the village board, I’m the interviewer for residents…we interview them and determine if what they bring into this village is good for our growth, not the other way around.”

“We approve these buildings on a charge card analogy, and now we don’t have the resources to back up our approval. We are facing possible litigation on this,” he continued, regarding water. “We need to find water before we allow any more building, or we’ll be drinking sulfur water.”

Using the money from the NY Forward Grant, Hembury wants to update the village’s library, renovate sidewalks, and improve the parks and playground equipment. He would like to incorporate more speed humps on village roads to prevent traffic and work with both the board and state to implement better routing for tractor-trailers. Business-wise, he wishes to continue the police department’s tradition of greeting and informing new residents about the village’s stores and encourages business owners to operate during major events like Montgomery Day.

“The need for speed humps – not bumps – was an idea I had as a tool to combat vehicle traffic speeding. Bumps are permanent blacktop on the road, humps can be moved around all over,” Hembury said regarding traffic. “They’re put out there to patrol, along with the radar sign that I proposed that we have.”

Overall, Hembury says he has tough skin with a heart of gold for the people he serves and wants to protect their quality of life as much as possible. He is unmoved by online discourse and, from his experiences as an officer, he is willing to work with anyone and everyone to solve the village’s problems.

“We’re here to stay forever, so whatever happens, I’m still going to be involved,” Hembury said. “I was involved in all this stuff before I got on the board. And as far as welcoming new people here, we’re going to continue to do it. Because how cool is it to get a knock on the door?”

Randi Picarello for Mayor
Picarello, who joined the board as a trustee in March 2023, is a 37-year resident who has watched the village grow and transform since she was a child. She spotlights local businesses as executive director of the Business Council of Greater Montgomery, previously served pastries at her establishment, Eat This Bakery, and has involved herself in village meetings of all kinds since 2009. After serving a year on the board, Picarello feels she has the necessary skills to tackle the community’s concerns as its mayor.

“I hope to represent your interests as mayor. Like everyone else in this room, I love this village; it’s probably the one thing we all came here and we’ll leave here remembering today,” Picarello said. “I have been actively participating in our government and municipality since 2009 when an oversized project was proposed on a local farm. Since then, I’ve attended village and town, board and planning, and industrial development meetings regularly.”

In her ideal village, Picarello yearns for staff who appreciate the services they provide, parks activities that residents can enjoy to the fullest, and preservation that maintains the municipality’s history and rural space. She asserted that long-term plans are necessary for securing these goals and addressing critical issues, whether they examine different sources and treatment facilities for the village’s water supply or outline infrastructure and zoning for warehouse development.

“I submitted a draft outline for our committee and deliverables on January 2, as well as submitted interested residents with integral knowledge of well drilling, the history of waters, and village and public infrastructure that want to help,” Picarello said regarding water.

Recently, the village received $4.5 million from the NY Forward Grant; before deciding which projects need funding, Picarello would assemble a committee that conducts surveys and collects data from residents to best assess the priorities. The same mindset extends to a traffic study, which would help the board find the best solutions for rerouting tractor-trailers and preventing cars from speeding. Picarello also advocated for better representation of local businesses in in the village government and renovations on Main Street as to make storefronts more eye-catching to potential customers.

“It’s important to make sure that these businesses are as successful as possible. If we don’t have a vibrant storefront, we risk becoming a bedroom community, which is not something that we want to be,” Picarello said regarding business. “So we’re making sure that we’re pulling in those local business owners for their opinions and to make sure that the events that we’re having are supporting their businesses.”

Picarello seeks to reach out and work with citizens of varying opinions and be the best possible representation she could be for the community.

“Your village needs a hands-on, community-minded, visible leader with the time and the ability to research the best practices and most efficient tools,” Picarello siad. “A leader must have a plan, the time, and the dedication to execute it, and must have the ability to motivate a team to continue the implementation. And that leader is me.”

Kevin Conero for Trustee
Conero, who moved from Highland Falls in the ‘80s, has filled several roles for the village’s departments across 30 years, including the planning board, ZBA, the Comprehensive Plan Committee, and the Historic Guidelines Update Committee. He also specializes in network communications and has assisted local K12 schools with technology initiatives, such as New Paltz Central School District and Ulster BOCES. In December 2023, Conero took over for former trustee Walter Linder and currently seeks a full term on the board.

“Today, I stand before you with a vision, a vision to enhance our community, strengthen our bonds, and ensure a prosperous future while protecting our identity as a small village,” Conero said. “If elected, I plan to work with my fellow board members to ensure we have a working and functional local government.”

Much of Conero’s vision for the village stems from the comprehensive plan, which provides crucial guidelines for zoning and warehouse development. With the updated zoning, the planning board will have an easier time deciding whether or not individual developments would fit within the village. Additionally, he is currently devising solutions for the water supply and recently announced that he and the planning board received approval from the NYS DEC for a newly drilled well, providing much-needed water.

“We were able to update the zoning and update the warehouse criteria, which the village did not have. I worked on the warehouse criteria to create warehouses that would be compatible with our comprehensive plan,” Conero said regarding the KHS development and updated guidelines. “I am fully committed to letting the planning board make the decision based on the current zoning.”

For downtown revitalization, Conero stated that the NY Forward Grant should go toward Veterans Memorial Park, Pleasure Ground, historical buildings, and general aesthetics. He asserted that the village should continue working with the Town of Montgomery and Orange County to fund a traffic study and create a bypass route for tractor-trailers. Conero would also listen to local businesses and see what he and the board can do to assist them, whether it’s increasing parking capacity or cleaning the streets and sidewalks surrounding village stores.

“We are currently collaborating closely with the DOT, Orange County Planning, the Town of Montgomery, and our own village government to create this bypass,” Conero said regarding tractor-trailer traffic. “We need to keep this inter-municipal cooperation moving forward between the town, the county, and the village, and that will help ease the traffic congestion at our village gateways.”

As a resident deep-rooted in the village’s government, Conero feels that his expertise from the planning board and comprehensive plan committee would be a great asset to the board.

“I worked with Walt Linder so many times on so many different projects; he and I worked together a lot, and I miss the guy. Walt had mentioned that I would be the candidate to replace him, and I graciously accepted” Conero said. “I think that I have the experience and knowledge in order to move forward as a village trustee.”

Cynthia Nokland for Trustee
Nokland is a lifelong resident who’s involved in multiple facets of the community, whether she is volunteering for her church, first responders, or the Valley Central School District. She is a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Valley Central’s All Night Grad and Scholarship Council, the Orange and Sullivan Community Foundation, and numerous other local organizations. She also has an extensive background in account management from her positions at Advance Auto Parts, Grainger, Winsupply, and her current company, Bob Barker.

“My background is not in political activities, however, I have been an active member of this community supporting numerous organizations and individuals for the good of our village,” Nokland said. “I’m speaking to all of our friends in the village where we all want to do great things and want to continue to be here together.”

If elected, Nokland would emphasize planning for the future, ensuring that the village’s infrastructure, water resources, and older citizens would be properly accounted for. She feels that the village’s water is urgent and that the six-month moratorium passed in December should be extended. For warehouse development, Nokland would meet with residents and brainstorm the best solutions for preserving their village’s land.

“The public did ask for a one-to-two-year moratorium; we were given a six-month moratorium and we’re told we can extend it if we need to,” Nokland said regarding water. “I am sure we will have to extend this water moratorium this year in order to get the training and the support that we need from these entities.”

Some amenities that Nokland feels need funding from the NY Forward Grant include safety, historic preservation, sidewalks, and signage. She stressed that the village’s streets were not built with heavy traffic in mind and asserted that she and the community would lobby state officials for road improvements. Regardless of the election outcome, Nokland will continue helping local businesses and implores residents to appreciate the services they provide for the village.

“Whether I’m elected or not, I’m going to continue to do what I do, which is support our local business in this village through volunteering and through a lot of fundraising,” Nokland said regarding businesses. “They’re from the communities, their children go to our school, and we should be supporting them and supporting locally.”

While she is new to working in government, Nokland has just as much passion for the village as other trustees and hopes to continue giving back to the community on the board. Just as she helped clients with their problems as an account manager, she would do the same for residents and, regardless of opinions, work together with everyone to reach common goals.

“Let’s bring people together and let’s talk about it. Let’s not assume what the other person says or what they do because of who they hang out with or who they talk to or what is happening. Go up and talk to the person,” Nokland said. “Feel free to come up and talk to me because I’ll be happy to get anyone together and to reach across.”