Gerald Mishk Jr., Walden’s Associate Village Justice since 2017, has resigned his position in order to seek election to the Walden Village Board.

“Although I enjoyed my four years as a judge, I feel I will be able to do more good for the Walden residents as a member of the Village Board,” Minsk said. “I have learned many things as a judge, one major thing is the amount of code violations in the village pertaining to landlords. As a trustee, I will able to help fine tune the landlord registry, a law that I proposed and pushed forward during my time as a trustee during the years of 2013 thru 2017.”

Mishk was appointed to the village board in March of 2013, and served as trustee before being appointed Associate Village Justice in 2017. He noted that, by state law, the justice position must be vacated once he announced his intention to pursue another office.

“I wish I could have retained the position pending the election results in March,” he said, “ but it is against state law.”

Mishk, a native of Cold Spring, moved to Walden in 1984 with his wife, where they raised two children. He is a retired Detective Sergeant from the City of Middletown Police Department after 27 years of distinguished service. He was a detective for most of that time and was a decorated officer, including the Department’s Purple Heart, which he received after a serious line of duty injury. It was this injury that forced his retirement.

For now, all village justice duties will be handled by Justice Raynard Ozman, who was re-elected last year and who also serves as a Town of Montgomery Justice. The village board will appoint an Associate Village Justice at its reorganization meeting in April, according to Village Manager John Revella.

The village election will take place on Tuesday, March 15, with three seats on the village board open, each for two-year terms. Those seats are currently held by Cheryl Baker, Deputy Mayor Willie Carley and Patricia Maher, who was appointed to her seat last April, when John Ramos was elected mayor.