The Town of Montgomery’s November 7 general election features two familiar foes in the contest for town supervisor: one is a former town supervisor seeking to reclaim her old job, the other is a longtime Orange County Legislator who has also served as mayor of the Village of Montgomery.

Susan Cockburn, the former supervisor and Steven Brescia have faced off before, both at the polls and in court. She unsuccessfully challenged him for his legislative seat during the 2013 county elections. She later sued him when, during a 2019 public hearing on the proposed Medline warehouse project, he banned her from speaking and ordered the police to escort her from the room. (She was allowed to stay, but not to deliver her remarks). Cockburn and two other women who were also prevented from speaking filed a lawsuit in Orange County Supreme Court. A settlement of $37,500 was reached that was also to have included a written apology that was never issued.

The winner of Tuesday’s electionwill succeed Ronald Feller, who was appointed on December 31, 2022 to fill the remainder of Brian Maher’s second term. Maher, who had served three years as town supervisor, was elected to the New York State Assembly last November.

Susan Cockburn
RESPECT Montgomery

Susan Cockburn, former town supervisor who served two terms from 2004 to 2005 and from 2006 to 2007, returns once more to rerun for supervisor.

Cockburn moved to Montgomery in 1997 after graduating from Stevens Institute of Technology with a Bachelor’s in environmental engineering. After hearing about large developments in town, she ran for supervisor in 2004 and addressed residents’ concerns after she won the election.

“There were problems people were having with huge projects going up in residential neighborhoods. And I helped because I had just come right out of environmental engineering, about water, and the overdraw of wells…and then everybody was like, ‘Would you run?’ I was like ‘Really?’ Then one thing led to another and I got it,” she explained.

Since her last term, Cockburn’s goals have not changed, and she asserted that she will tackle development directly and immediately. She firmly believes that development should be handled at the local level and that the town cannot rely on the state government for assistance.

“You handle development by dealing with it head-on, by legislating, by being preemptive. By saying ‘Okay, it’s a school here, we’re not going to put diesel trucks idling and parking half a mile away.’ You deal with it, you engineer it,” Cockburn said.

“I often hear the town board and town planning board saying ‘Well, let’s talk to the Army Corps of Engineers.’ You should not have to go to them. They come in as backup, the state comes in as backup. We should have our own protections and whatnot in place,” she continued.

Cockburn will also prioritize town employees, their input and their needs, stressing that these are the people who keep Montgomery functioning.

“I would immediately speak to all the town employees because I understand that they get short-stick from the elected board members. No one talks to them, and they are what’s keeping Montgomery running right now. Like the highway, the guys at the town tax administration, the town court. They’re what’s running the town, not the town board members,” she said.

To help achieve these goals, Cockburn will be open to the public and seek feedback from residents, whether it’s through board meetings, appointments, phone calls, or her own seminars. She encourages everyone, regardless of age, to participate in the meetings, not only to be involved but also to better understand their government.
“Bring your kids; I don’t care if they’re running around, they have a right to be there. People should learn how their local government works so they don’t get afraid to speak up or afraid to ask for something or to run for office,” she said.

For economic growth, Cockburn suggested that the town elevate its smaller, local businesses, rather than look to bigger, national companies for money.

“I would start using town incentives for town businesses, not incentives for national corporations that have millions of dollars. They don’t need our tax exemptions, they don’t need our incentives,” she stated.

Cockburn also proposed that the town incorporate more art and history into its events, such as hosting artifact displays and book readings.

“If you start letting things like that happen, which I did last time, we had people coming from all over. They came from Chester, from Warwick, they come to the Town of Montgomery to see these things” she said.

During her free time, Cockburn enjoys painting animal portraits, repairing wedding gowns, gardening and restoring antiques and furniture.

Steve Brescia
Republican -Conservative
Brescia graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1986 with a Bachelor’s in Political Science. In the Village of Montgomery, he started out as a trustee in 1987 and became mayor in 1990, and has served the village more than 30 years.

He was elected to the Orange County Legislature in 1994. His 9th district currently serves the Town of Wallkill, Villages of Maybrook and Montgomery and portions of the Town of Montgomery.

Brescia was elected to chair the Orange County Legislature in 2014 and served as a member of the Orange County Industrial Development Agency. He stepped down from both in 2021 following a corruption probe that accused the IDA of negligence in its oversight. Legislator Katie Bonelli, his successor as chair, also revealed that a sexual harassment claim against Brescia was made by a county employee.

According to his campaign page, Brescia strives for economic development, law enforcement, and funding for farmers’ tire removal. He has funded Hope Not Handcuffs, an organization dedicated to helping individuals affected by substance abuse, helped create the Valley View Advisory Council, and co-founded the Opioid Education Committee.

Brescia did not respond to multiple requests to discuss his campaign.