As the Town of Montgomery board election draws closer, three incumbents have announced their campaigns: Steve Brescia, a lifetime village resident and former village mayor; Sheryl Melick, a lifetime resident and four-term councilwoman; and Mike Setteducato, a 24-year resident and one-term councilman. Tapping into their respective expertises, the three seek to keep their seats on the board and continue serving Montgomery through its municipal government.

Steve Brescia
Brescia is a lifetime Montgomery village resident; he and his family have had deep roots in the village since 1900. He graduated from Valley Central High School in 1981, then received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Tennessee in 1986. After graduating from UT, Brescia took on several different jobs; he managed Brescia Lumber and Rowley Lumber, conducted sales for ProBuild, and delivered dialysis supplies. While no longer active in them, he is also a former member of the Walden Rotary, UNICO, and Masonic Lodge No. 627.

While attending high school, Brescia had the chance to meet and interview a few county legislators, sparking his interest in government work. He began his municipal career in 1987 after he ran for the Village of Montgomery board and was elected as trustee.

“Back when I was in high school, we interviewed a couple of county legislators, and I liked what they did when we interviewed them. I knew that I wanted to do that when I got out of college, so that’s one of the main reasons I majored in political science,” Brescia said. “I knew I wasn’t going to be full time right away because we had the family business, and we were in business for many years. But when I got out of college, I ran for office and was elected trustee in the Village of Montgomery in 1987.”

A few years later, Brescia was elected the Village of Montgomery’s mayor in 1990, serving for 34 years. He initially pursued the Orange County Legislature, but pivoted towards mayoral work after losing the county’s 1989 election. Brescia would later join the OC Legislature in 1994, serving as the 9th District legislator for 30 years and chairman for eight years. He was also a member of the OC IDA for 18 years and the NYS Fire Prevention and Building Code Council for a dozen years.

Brescia’s roles as village mayor and District 9 legislator came to a close in 2024 after getting elected to his latest seat: the Town of Montgomery supervisor. Since joining the board, Brescia has worked with council members on various town issues and projects. His two biggest priorities include rebuilding the fund balance, which had been drained over the last few years, and upgrading the town’s sewer and water systems, including the systems for Lakeview Park.

“For the last year and a half, it’s been a challenge to say the least. My number one priority is to build up the fund balance; the fund balance has depleted quite a bit over the last few years, and that makes it difficult to keep the taxes stable. So we’ve been creative in trying to build the fund balance up so we can maintain tax rates into the future,” Brescia said. “We also want to upgrade the sewage and water system in Lakeview Park; that’s a big challenge, since very little has been done there for the last 30 plus years. And we want to upgrade the town sewage system, which we need a plan for and get it done as soon as we can.”

Brescia seeks to retain his seat as supervisor in the upcoming election, asserting that he still has unfinished business to take care of. Some of his initiatives include improving the town hall, upgrading the police station, revamping water and sewer infrastructure, adding more trails to Benedict Farm Park, and increasing efficiencies.

“We’re just trying to make the quality of life in Montgomery overall better for all of our citizens, and we have a good team here to do that,” Brescia said.

Sheryl Melick
Melick is a lifelong Montgomery resident, a Valley Central alumna, and a mother who raised two children with her late husband Kenneth Melick. She and Kenneth established Ken’s Service Station in 1990, an auto repair business which she has maintained over the past 35 years.

“My husband and I parented two children that are also Town of Montgomery residents raising their families and working locally,” Melick said. “Together, we also operated a local business here in town. After losing him twenty-five years ago I continued the business on my own totaling 35 plus years in business.”

Melick originally joined the town board back in 2009, and has served nearly four terms since. Some of her priorities include advocating for senior housing programs, bringing business values to the municipality, and managing the tax rate. She is also heavily involved in the town’s DARE program, working with the Valley Central School District to ensure that the schools have the programs and officers in place.

“Being a supporter of the DARE program, I was involved and ensured all our VC schools are equipped with both program and resource officers in each school,” Melick said. “Throughout my tenure, I have supported new housing and programs for our seniors. I continue to be an important advocate for those with concerns to the town board by bringing conservative business values to municipal government. At the same time, I have relieved taxpayer burden through approval of new businesses bringing both rateables and job opportunities.”

Melick hopes to continue collaborating with the supervisor and board members on unfinished business, requesting support from voters for this election season.

“Despite the progress, there remains work to be done. When reelected, I will continue to work collaboratively with the board members, sharing similar beliefs to keep the Town of Montgomery moving forward,” Melick said. “I am asking all voters for your support to achieve this vision to serve our community. I always welcome a call from a concerned resident.”

Mike Setteducato
Setteducato originally grew up in Highland Mills before he and his wife Michelle moved to Montgomery in 2001. He graduated from Monroe-Woodbury High School in 1992, then obtained an associates degree in criminal justice from Rockland Community College in 1995. Following RCC, Setteducato worked as a car carrier driver for eight years, then established MJS Auto Interior, his automotive restoration business, in 2003.

When looking for a new home, Setteducato and his wife felt that Montgomery had the small town energy they were looking for. Setteducato especially appreciates the town’s rural beauty, historic villages, and tight-knit community. Prior to joining the town board, he engaged in the town’s sports, serving as a coach for the Orange County Soccer Club and Valley Central Youth Soccer for over 15 years.

“My wife Michelle and I moved to Montgomery in 2001. We chose Montgomery mainly for the small town feel and tight community that we grew up in, before the Monroe-Woodbury area became so overbuilt and overpopulated. We have four children, three are Valley Central graduates and one is currently in the 8th grade at the Valley Central Middle School,” Setteducato said. “Before the town board, I have been heavily involved with youth sports in Montgomery. Mainly with the Orange County Soccer Club and Valley Central Youth Soccer for over 15 years, both as a coach and a sitting board member for OCSC.”

Setteducato originally did not have interest in government work, but after some residents suggested that he run, he joined the Montgomery town board in January 2022. Since then, he has collaborated with his fellow board members on various legislation and initiatives; while challenging, he considers the experience very rewarding. Setteducato’s biggest focus is the town’s parks, and he has worked extensively with the parks and recreation department to improve outdoor spaces, from adding more walking trails and fields to replacing fields and fences.

“My experience on the board since joining is a lot different than the private sector, that’s for sure; it takes a lot longer to get things done in government. There’s always a county, state, or federal hurdle making it difficult to do things, but we do our best to serve the community,” Setteducato said. “I’ve been heavily involved in the park and rec department trying to improve our town Parks, getting more walking trails, improving the fields, replacing fences, and adding benches. We want to have a place where the kids can go and play and the community can enjoy outdoor spaces.”

Setteducato seeks to continue serving Montgomery residents with another term on the town board; he feels that the town is heading in the right direction, and he wants to help the municipality stay on track. Some of his priorities include preserving the town’s open spaces and farmland, building a new highway garage, improving road and water infrastructure, and expanding the town’s parks with projects and grants.

“I’m looking forward to continuing the preservation of open spaces and getting more farm land declared forever green. I supported the building of the new town garage to facilitate all the needs of our community, improving our infrastructure with new roads and drainage systems, and investigating how to upgrade and improve our sewer treatment systems,” Setteducato said. “We should also approve as many Parkland projects as we can by obtaining grants, so we can expand some of the beautiful parks we have here in the town.”

“To me, this board position is all about community and preserving the way we can all live together. Community binds us through a shared purpose, mutual goals, and the quiet understanding that we are stronger together than apart.”