Starbuck, Freimark will not seek new terms
Eliza Starbuck and Aaron Freimark said this week they do not plan to seek new terms on the Cold Spring Village Board.
Starbuck, a Main Street shop owner, is serving her second, 2-year term and Freimark is in his first. They have been at odds with Mayor Kathleen Foley and the other two members on issues such as the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail.
The mayor’s position also will be on the ballot. The current terms of board members Laura Bozzi and Tweeps Phillips Woods end in 2026.
“I’m grateful to have been given this opportunity to serve my community,” Starbuck said in a statement. “I’ve grown a lot in the role. My voice has often added a new perspective to board discussions and represented folks who didn’t otherwise have a voice on the board. But it’s time for me to pass the torch to someone else.”
As a trustee, Starbuck was responsible for implementing the paid parking plan in 2024. Main Street meters generated $94,000 for the village in the first seven months, she said.
Freimark said he does not plan to run because of family obligations.
I was sad to learn that Eliza Starbuck and Aaron Freimark won’t be running in the fall for their seats on the Cold Spring Village Board. Over the past few years, they have been instrumental in delivering much-needed programs and bringing diversity of thought to the village administration.
Starbuck has done yeoman’s work coordinating the implementation of a much-needed (but somewhat controversial) paid parking program. Likewise, Freimark’s analysis and common-sense scrutiny regarding a plethora of initiatives has been refreshing and timely.
Both have exhibited fiscal responsibility and a genuine concern for our tax dollars, challenging expenditures that have, at times, seemed unnecessary. Perhaps most importantly, they have had the courage to speak truth to power, often voicing disparate viewpoints in what many in the village feel has become an autocratic environment that is hostile to different opinions.
Good luck to Trustees Starbuck and Freimark and thank you for your service and commitment to our little village.