Development, police spending among issues
John Forman, a Republican member of the Fishkill Town Board and former Dutchess County legislator who represented part of Beacon, is challenging incumbent Ozzy Albra, a Democrat, to become town supervisor.
Early voting begins Saturday (Oct. 28) and the election is Nov. 7. Both candidates spoke this week about the issues they feel are central to what has become a heated race that included Forman’s arrest on Tuesday (Oct. 24) for allegedly stealing campaign signs.
Albra, a retired police officer who is seeking a second, 4-year term, says that development in Fishkill was the most important issue when he took the job in 2019 and remains so.
“The developers don’t run the Town of Fishkill anymore — the residents do,” he said, repeating one of his administration’s mantras since a 2021 court victory.
In that case, a state judge upheld the Town Board’s decision to end its review of a rezoning request from a firm proposing a 30-building, 463-unit development on Route 9D just outside of Beacon. The decision signaled the end of the Rolling Hills development proposal, which would have drawn water from Beacon and added students to the Beacon school district.
Albra said the case set a precedent that “a municipality has the right to enforce its own zoning laws.” In addition, he said that his administration has thwarted the development of hundreds of other housing units that, if built, would have forced the town to build a $35 million new school.
“I fulfilled my campaign promises,” Albra said, though he warned that “the developers are going to come back and run the town” if his opponent is elected.
Fishkill Candidate Arrested
Allegedly stole campaign signsJohn Forman, a member of the Fishkill Town Board who is challenging incumbent Ozzy Albra to become supervisor, was arrested on Tuesday (Oct. 24) for removing disparaging campaign signs.
The signs read “Renters and homeowners pay taxes, John Forman does not,” suggesting that Forman does not live in the Town of Fishkill, which would disqualify him from serving on the Town Board or as supervisor. Forman says he has rented in the town for the past two years.
Forman said Wednesday that he and Albra had agreed that the yard signs should come down because they do not promote a candidate and contain no information about who paid for them, as required by state election law.
The candidate said he began picking up the signs “at 9:30 in the morning, in front of anyone who was watching.” One, he said, was “booby-trapped” with an Apple Air Tag that led East Fishkill police to his vehicle.
Albra, however, denied on Thursday any agreement with Forman. “He had no permission to take the signs that were in his car, period,” he said, adding that the signs were paid for by the Fishkill Democratic Committee.
Forman was charged with misdemeanor criminal possession of stolen property and is scheduled to appear in East Fishkill court on Nov. 1.
Albra also cited as an achievement the creation of an aquifer protection overlay zone, which sets development limits on environmentally sensitive land and restricts the use of fertilizers and underground fuel tanks, among other safeguards.
Finally, Albra said he has increased police spending by 25 percent and hired an additional officer for the town’s part-time Police Department.
Forman, an insurance agency partner, disputes Albra’s claim of increased police spending. Much of the additional spending, Forman said, can be attributed to salary increases negotiated through union contracts while the town’s department lacks new vehicles and equipment.
Forman, who served 12 years in three stints in the Dutchess County Legislature, also criticized Albra for engaging the town in lawsuits.
“We are spending way too much money on legal fees and lawsuits,” he said, alleging that Fishkill’s legal fees have ballooned from $125,000 per year to $340,000 while Albra has sparred with Domenico Broccoli, the developer of the proposed Continental Commons complex on Route 9. “Meanwhile, we’re gutting the Police Department budget.”
Forman argued that town residents would be better served by increased scrutiny on the administration’s policies, including disparate staff raises made “with no rhyme or reason” and inconsistent communication with department heads. “Nobody knows what’s going on except for Ozzy,” Forman claimed. “If there were department head meetings, you would know what’s going on.”
Regarding development, Forman said he is in favor of “smart commercial development” that produces tax revenue. “I don’t think either party wants another Merritt Boulevard,” he said, referring to the busy strip malls on Route 9. “The roads can’t take it.”
Instead, he said, he hopes to see commercial growth that “adds property tax but doesn’t saturate our school districts.”
