More names emerge as first time candidates Patricia Clarino and Veronica McMillan have announced their runs for town positions in the 2023 election season for New Windsor. Clarino will be running this year for the Town Clerk position, and McMillan will be seeking a seat on the town board.

In recent weeks, current Councilman Stephen Bedetti has announced his second run for Town Supervisor, along with newly announced candidate Charlie Broe. Each new candidate will be running on the Republican party line in this upcoming election cycle. Town Supervisor George Meyers, Town Clerk Kelly Allegra and Councilwoman Sylvia Santiago are all up for reelection this coming year.

Over the course of the past week, Clarino and McMillan had the opportunity to share more on their background, their thoughts on the preparation process and what they hope to accomplish and contribute if elected to their respective positions.

Patricia Clarino
While the preparation process and very thought of running for a town position has been nerve wracking, Clarino shared that after speaking with her family, neighbors and other community members who encouraged to run, she is ready to step into this role. Clarino previously worked as Deputy Clerk in the town, which she began in 2015 under Town Clerk Debbie Green at the time.

“I’ve never gone through anything like this before. It’s my first time actually running for any type of office,” said Clarino. “I do know the job, because I worked there for four years. The whole political thing is new for me. I’m going to find it great to get out there and meet people I don’t know.”

Originally from Cairo, NY, Clarino moved to the Hudson Valley in 1992 which is the same year she began attending Mount Saint Mary College. In 1997, Clarino began working at KeyBank and eventually moved up to Head Teller in 1998. The Head Teller position involved the supervision of fellow employees, overseeing daily banking activities, and the review of various transactions. She married her husband Neil in 2000 and the couple have since raised four children in the town.

Leaving KeyBank in 2004, she became a full-time mother until 2015 when she interviewed for the Deputy Town Clerk position. During her time in this position, she also joined the New Windsor Republican Committee, where she now serves as Treasurer.

For Clarino, she shared that if she is elected, she will look to maintain an open door policy in the role, uphold transparency during the course of her work and continue to be there and work with all residents, new and old, to address their concerns and needs. Clarino also discussed the possibility of opening the clerk’s office on a Saturday of each month to those residents who may not have any availability during the week due to work or other commitments, to address their needs as well.

“Throughout my career, I have come to understand the importance of an “Open Door Policy” with my community and the worth of maintaining strong relationships with my peers,” said Clarino. “I hope to use this knowledge as the next Town Clerk of NewWindsor. Someone wants to come and discuss something they can come in.”

As the petition period draws closer in the coming weeks, Clarino looks forward to the dialogue with residents as she collects signatures and listens to what their needs may be. “Hopefully I get to meet [people], especially with new people in the community. I could talk to them, maybe they can see what I have to offer the town as far as being open, being accessible. Anything you kind of need, you can come to me, it could be something that might not even be my job but if I can help you go to where you need to go, then I can do that,” said Clarino. “I love my community. And if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be running. New Windsor’s a great little town.”

Veronica McMillan
A first time candidate for the town board and having an additional endorsement from the New Windsor Republican Committee, McMillan shared she is in a good place and is ready for the opportunity to serve her community as the newest member of the town board. Though a first time candidate in New Windsor, McMillan has had experience in the campaigning process as she ran in 2013 for Orange County Legislature.

McMillan’s family first moved to the area in January of 1975 and McMillan grew up in New Windsor. She went on to attend Newburgh Free Academy and graduated Class of 1990.Following graduation, she attended the State University of New York at [SUNY] Binghamton and achieved a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. She completed her studies in December of 1994 and graduated Class of 1995. McMillan furthered her education at Seton Hall University School of Law and finished in the Spring of 1998. In 1998, McMillan married her husband, also an NFA graduate, and have since raised two daughters here in the town who are now young adults.

She then sat for the bar and was admitted to practice law in New York State and New Jersey and was part of a firm for 21 years in Poughkeepsie. In 2019, McMillan opened her office and is a partner of Arciero McMillan & Burgess, P.C. McMillan also went on to attend Mount Saint Mary College and achieved her nursing degree in 2012 as she was considering work in healthcare practice. “We [her firm] do a lot of medical malpractice defense work. And I also do real estate and commercial litigation,” said McMillan.

If elected, McMillan looks forward to continuing the work of improving and progressing the town’s infrastructure, working to expand recreational opportunities, working with her peers to maintain taxes in the town, working towards opportunities for housing, focusing on the senior population in the town. As an NFA graduate, McMillan would also like to pursue opportunities to work with the school district if they became available for her.

“It’s really important to me to play a role in the town as it moves forward in the next several years,” said McMillan. “I think a lot of people feel like I do that they want to see the town continue to prosper in a measured, responsible way, and that they want to make their lives here as enjoyable as possible.”

Similar to Clarino, McMillan looks forward to the upcoming petition period and to have constructive dialogue with residents and to address their needs in the town.

“I consider it a great honor to have the opportunity to represent our town and to work towards continuing to make it a great place for everyone to live,” said McMillan. “I hope that everyone will see that in what they ask, in my responses to their questions when I meet them at their front door. And I hope that everyone will feel confident in giving me their vote.”

A website, social media and other additional public materials will be made available at a later date for both candidates, and opportunities for residents to meet their candidates are in the planning process and are to be announced a later time.