For Immediate Release
May 9, 2011
Contact: Malta Republican Chairman William C. Smith, 583-4991

MALTA GOP COMMITTEE ENDORSES TOWN CANDIDATES

Malta Republican Chairman William C. Smith today announced his committee’s endorsement of Republican candidates seeking election to town wide office this fall. Following open interviews, the following candidates were endorsed by the committee: Paul Sausville for supervisor, Tara Thomas and Peter Klotz for council, Roger Crandall for highway superintendent, Florence Sickels for clerk, James Nichols for town justice, and Lynda Bablin for tax receiver. Smith also highlighted the efforts of each candidate to create a unified Republican party in Malta as well as his or her qualifications to lead Malta into the future.

“The endorsed Republican candidates for town wide office are well acquainted with public service, and, as a team, will lead a strong effort today and in the future for our town,” said Smith. “Our candidates have demonstrated an ability to represent the citizens of Malta by advocating against a town tax, supporting responsible downtown development, and preserving our hometown character. I look forward to joining all of our candidates in the coming weeks as we hit the streets to spread our message of small government and job growth here in Malta.”

For more information, please visit www.maltagop.net, or like “Malta GOP Committee” on Facebook as the Republican committee will provide electronic and social media updates throughout the campaign.

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Malta Town Councilwoman Tara Thomas
to hold “Cabin Fever” fundraiser

Councilwoman Thomas: “This is a great opportunity for neighbors to thaw out from a rough winter, enjoy great conversations with their neighbors, and network with members of our community.”

Malta Town Councilwoman Tara Thomas invites you to join her at a “Cabin Fever” fundraiser on Sunday, February 27 at Bentley’s Tavern Downtown. The event will highlight Thomas’s accomplishments during her first term and provide an opportunity for questions and comments in a meet-and-greet style – all are welcome.

“I always knew I wanted to be a different type of elected official, engaging the community and working through issues in the open,” said Thomas. “It’s natural for me to host an effort to raise resources for my campaign at a great community establishment that is open to all residents.”

First elected in 2007, Thomas has been a driving force for positive change in the town. Some of her accomplishments include: reforming the town’s Downtown Master Plan; being a pivotal member of the team that facilitated bringing Global Foundries – and thousands of jobs – to Malta; as well as helping to secure $4 million in host community benefits.

Thomas founded the all new non-for-profit Malta League of Arts and is part of continued recreation/open space initiatives with the ongoing planning of the Round Lake Preserve and athletic fields. In addition, Thomas has worked closely with the Village of Round Lake on many key issues and has stood consistently with residents against a town tax.

“I am looking forward to a great time,” said Thomas. “With all the snow and cold weather we’ve had, I welcome the opportunity to get out of the house as I have a bit of cabin fever myself.”

The “Cabin Fever” fundraiser will be held at Bentley’s Tavern Downtown, located in the Parade Ground Village from 4 to 6 p.m. Contributions will be accepted at the event. For more information, email: tarathomasformalta@gmail.com.

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As Malta continues to reach significant milestones, we as a community know economic development has been one of our town’s defining issues over the past few years — and one that has ignited passionate disagreement on both sides.

This is an important debate, and one we as a community must have. Town investments are similar to taking out a loan on future prosperity. A good investment can set the foundation for generations of economic strength; a poor decision could haunt us for decades.

At the heart of the discussion is the question of our downtown — how we can become a sustainable, thriving business community while preserving our rich heritage and small-town traditions. Finding the right solution has required community input and the ability to put the well-being of Malta ahead of outside special interests and political squabbles.

Much of the debate over the past year has rested upon GlobalFoundries, the $4.2 billion chip factory that broke ground last fall. I was part of the team that helped approve the project, and I can assure you it was a decision not taken lightly. We had extensive discussion on the pros and cons of bringing such a large-scale project to Malta, ensuring job creation for future generations. The thousands of local jobs that have since been created by the project seem to validate our decision.

Nevertheless, we must remember that GlobalFoundries is the exception to the rule, not the rule itself. How we proceed with Malta’s downtown planning will have just as much — if not more —of an impact on Malta’s future as Global Foundries or other types of large-scale projects. Our Town Comprehensive Master Plan, while far from perfect, establishes a framework for future development initiatives.

Through workshops conducted recently, professionals who assisted the town in our downtown planning made it very clear that improvements are necessary to meet the goals of what the original Master Plan was to achieve. Recommendations from professionals have included reducing the 1.8-mile downtown boundary to a 1/2- to 1/4-mile boundary, enhancing walkability and connectivity initiatives, reviewing the current scale and implementing Traditional Neighborhood Design standards. Also under discussion was a careful review of our generic environmental impact statement, as the planned multi-family residential development threshold has already exceeded projections with only a small amount of development currently approved in the downtown area.

The important thing to remember is that we can never become complacent, ever. We must constantly review our plans, impact statements and standards to make sure each project will not only have a positive impact on our town, but will be deficit-neutral.

I know some of this can sound very technical, and the truth is, sometimes it can be. But, that’s why it’s so important that we have this discussion in an open and honest manner, and that residents have the opportunity to have their opinion heard. I would be very happy to meet with any resident to discuss this issue further, so please, do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you kindly for your input.

Tara Thomas is a member of Malta’s Town Board.

I can pledge to you that as a member of the Town Council I will be proactive in initiating strategic development and planning. We need members of our Town Council who will be proactive and diligent in listening to our citizens and making their concerns known and ideas come alive.

As a member of the Town Council, I will work endlessly to provide the best I can for the citizens I represent. The values instilled in me by my parents allow me to be diligent, open-minded, responsible and realistic. These traits are just the starting point my years of hard work can bring to the table.

As your Councilwoman, I will have the tremendous opportunity to represent you and the citizens of Malta in a way that reflects what you want and how you feel. I will be your voice when it comes to downtown development in our community. I will be your voice when working with our business leaders and developers in our town. I will be your voice to preserve downtown Malta for what it should be. I pledge to serve at nothing less.

This campaign is about running on a vision, and the only way to do that is to let you know why I am the best candidate for Town Council. My campaign has been nothing but honest and hard-fought, focusing on the issues and my vision for Malta, and I pledge to carry my integrity with me serving as your Councilwoman. For the past eight years I have worked as your Deputy Supervising Court Clerk, and each and every day I see the faces of Malta.

My public service experience, coupled with my community activity, makes me a candidate of quality character who will work with all citizens of Malta, on both sides of the aisle, in a cooperative effort to move all of our citizens forward. It is through your input and ideas that I am able to bring to the table and make this our town, for our families, moving Malta forward.

Maggi Ruisi is the endorsed Republican, Conservative and Independence Party candidate for Malta Town Council.

As a resident of the southern end of our town, I know the type of potential that lies at the “Gateway to Malta.” Residents are calling for a plan that would attract new business and development to the area, but would not change the character of this part of town. Responsible growth is the key to the revitalization of Exit 11, and the announcement of Hannaford coming is a wonderful opportunity.

As a member of the Town Board, I would fully support a plan to bring this type of establishment to Exit 11 and work diligently to make sure we’re not attracting another large chain store, but a smaller grocery store that would suit the needs of residents in the southern part of town. Tentatively only laid out to employ 100 people, this smaller-scale store would be a lovely addition to the existing mall and certainly pump some energy back into the Exit 11 neighborhood. Striking the proper balance here is key, and as your councilwoman I would strive for that balance. The Exit 11 area has such great potential to make our family town grow in such a unique way, and I hope to be part of that effort with your help and support come election day.

Maggi Ruisi , Republican, Independence and Conservative candidate for Malta Town Board

      Roger Crandall, owner of Crandall Excavating and lifelong Resident of Malta, launched his bid for Town Highway Superintendent this week, visiting hundreds of local residents at their homes and outlining his vision to reform the Town’s Highway Department. 

            “As a successful business owner of Crandall Excavating, I know that success requires hard work and determination,” said Crandall.  “Mismanagement at the Highway Department has cost us dearly these past few years and it’s essential we do everything in our power to keep costs low at the town-level.  To do so, we need to increase productivity through new training programs, mend relationships within the department and reign in the town budget.  That requires the type of fresh, bold solutions that I’ve employed as a business owner for over 30 years.”

While this is Roger’s first run for elected office, his qualifications and ideas have garnered considerable support for his campaign.  He has been endorsed by the Malta Republican Committee, the Saratoga County Conservative Party, the Saratoga County Independence Party and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 294, which represents the Malta Highway Department union membe

“Residents are tired of the status quo and they want a candidate who will restore integrity to the Highway Department and work to raise employee morale and productivity,” said Crandall.   “This week I brought my ideas for reform directly to residents and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Over the next six weeks I look forward to meeting everyone!”  

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            “Throughout my tenure I have worked to develop working relationships with state leaders to bring much-needed investment to our town, and today’s ground breaking represents the culmination of those efforts,” said Sausville.  “This new chip lab will create high-skilled jobs for our residents, keep the town tax-free and stimulate enough secondary business to lay the foundation for long-term economic prosperity.” 

            The Global Foundries project is anticipated to create almost 1,500 jobs at an average salary of $60,000 per year. Construction of the facility will generate over 4,000 jobs and is expected to stimulate the local economy by the hundreds of millions of dollars.  

“I believe this new ‘chip lab’ will secure Malta’s place as a leader in the field of advanced technology and is indicative of the type smart growth that puts people first,” said Sausville. 

First elected in 2003, Town Supervisor Paul Sausville has been a staunch advocate for responsible economic growth that maintains a high-quality of life for Malta residents and conserves Malta’s history and tradition. 

Beyond working to secure Global Foundries, Sausville has worked to construct the Round Lake By-Pass which has alleviated high-congestion in the village, secured over $70 million in grants for town construction and improvements, and helped restore and construct local parks, bikeways, and trails at limited or no cost to the town.  

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