Ancram Candidates Focus on Shared Goals

Ancram’s “Meet the Candidates” forum on Sunday, Oct. 12, resonated with mutual respect, civility, and agreement on several key issues: managing town costs and property taxes, finding affordable housing and job development options, and attracting and keeping young families in town.

The panel comprised the two candidates for Town Supervisor, incumbent Jim MacArthur (R) and Town Board member Colleen Lutz (NPD), and the four running for the two seats on Town Board: incumbent Amy Gold (D), incumbent Bonnie Hundt (D), Jennifer Boice (R), and Rick Dubray (R).

Ancram resident M.C. Stockl moderated the session, which drew a packed Town Hall. In addition to making opening and closing statements, each of the candidates respond to a dozen questions from the audience. 

MacArthur, who has served as Supervisor for one, two-year term, said in his initial remarks, “I live in the same house I lived in when I was born. I’ve lived in Ancram all my life, except for 8 1/2 years in military service.” He referenced his 20 years with Ancram’s Highway Department and his work with the Volunteer Fire Department and the Ancram Lutheran Church. “I joined the local VFW in 1977, when I got out of the Army. I am now the New York VFW Commander, supervising over 350 posts across the state.” 

Lutz has been on the Town Board for two years. She has also worked with Ancram’s court, Planning Board, and Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA); she serves on the Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) and on the boards of both the Roe-Jan Community Library and the Watershed Alliance. She has been a member of the Volunteer Fire Department for more than 20 years and identifies as neither a Democrat nor Republican (or NDP — No Party Designation). “How do we keep it possible for people to afford to live here?” she asked. “How do we attract jobs?  How do we achieve growth that is appropriate to our rural landscape, without degrading it, growth that is smart and sensible for the town where we live?” 

Hundt, a Town Board member for the past eight years, said of her upbringing on a dairy farm with nine siblings, “I learned how to work together.” She has lived in Ancram for 17 years and has run a salon business in Millerton for 30 years.  She has served on the Ethics Board and chaired the ZBA. Hundt also leads Ancram’s Affordable Housing Committee and serves on both the Zoning Review Committee. Her first service in Ancram was on the town’s Comprehensive Plan Committee, “which was great at bringing the town together,” she said. “What we need now is leadership that is proactive and transparent.”  

Gold bought her first home in the Hudson Valley in the 1980s and built her current home in Ancram in 2004. She was a director of communications and public relations for a tech corporation before retiring in 2022. Gold serves on the Conservation Advisory Council and volunteers with Neighbors Helping Neighbors. She said she wants to continue working on traffic safety and the Columbia County Urgent Care Center, as she did in her first term, and help Ancram seniors access the County’s Office of Aging services.  She is also leading the committee redeveloping the town’s website. “And we are all here because we want to retain Ancram’s agricultural beauty,” she said.

Boice said she moved to Ancram with her family in 1973, “and it was the best thing we ever did.” In 1987, she was the first woman to join Ancram’s Fire Department, where she continues to have a leadership role as Safety & Training Officer, and serves as the Town Pool Director. After earning a degree in accounting, she has been a longtime home care business co-owner in town. “We have an incredible community.,” she said. “I’d like to see us get more unified.”  

Dubray has lived in Ancram for over 40 years and runs his own property maintenance business. “I’ve been coming to town meetings for some time and watching how they’re run, and that’s why I decided to put my name in to be on the board,” he said. “I think there’s many changes that can be made, but I’ve raised my children here and enjoyed the community the way it is — quiet.  That’s what I’m looking for, to keep the town as an agricultural area, to keep it going that way.”

Stockl began by asking each candidate what they felt was the most important issue facing Ancram, and what they would like to accomplish in the next four years. Hundt was the first to respond: “Affordable housing. I became acutely aware of this when I witnessed the struggle my employees had, trying to buy a house. It is a really complicated problem, and I have spent years trying to educate myself about the options.” Lutz agreed: “I have two children. I would love them to have the option of staying here. They can’t.” 

Boice added, “And if we can’t keep young families here, we can’t maintain our Volunteer Fire Department. That would have a cost impact on taxes.” Dubray picked up on that, saying, “What’s most important is to watch the budget, keep the taxes from increasing. And, yes, there’s no low income housing.” MacArthur felt the main obstacle for more housing was zoning restrictive regulations. Gold added, “We need to maintain focus on our environment, to protect farmlands, and to insure development.”

A person in the audience later brought the discussion back to affordable housing: “What’s possible?  How? Where?” Boice: “Who can afford to sell land for less than it’s worth, to make a space for affordable housing? And I’ve heard that there are already some contractors who won’t do any work in Ancram because of zoning and planning board restrictions.” Gold: “It’s a very, very difficult balance. And if housing is built in Ancram, [state law regulates that] there is no guarantee it can be reserved for current Ancram residents.” 

Lutz hoped the Zoning Revisions Committee would create more flexibility for development. “We need to continue to work to find places for housing and to develop better paying jobs for people seeking homes.”  MacArthur was pessimistic: “Right now and in the near future, there is no such thing as affordable housing for anyone in New York. I applaud those working on it, but I don’t think it can happen.” But Hundt felt there were resources: “We are working with Copake and Hillsdale and with the whole county.  There’s a Columbia land bank, there’s a Columbia community land trust. We have to identify land, we have to change zoning to make it work. But I am really hopeful; there’s a lot going on.”

All of the candidates were committed to keeping property taxes low. MacArthur advocated lowering taxes by 5 percent in 2025, which the town did, and he is advocating to do so again in 2026. Acknowledging his predecessor, Art Bassin, in the audience, he said, “I don’t think Art raised taxes once in 14 years.” Hundt reminded everyone that the Town Board does not control county or school taxes, which have increased. She complimented the work Highway Superintendent Jim Miller has been doing on keeping costs — approximately 50% of the town’s total spending — within budget. And she said it was important to work out a plan, especially for capital expenses, further into the future.

Dubray: “I agree with the way we’re talking. If we can’t keep the budget under control, everyone in the town will suffer.” Lutz: “We have a very competent accountant and no increase [in taxes] in over 14 years, but it takes a monumental effort. We on the board look at this at every meeting.” Boice: “We have to be wise about the timing of the money we’re bringing in.”  She cited the pavilion as an example where expenses have already been paid for construction, but an offsetting $125,000 state grant has yet to come in. Gold: “Both sides are calling for fiscal responsibility.” And she reminded the audience that there would be a public hearing on the 2026 budget immediately before the Oct. 16 board meeting.

Asked about political signage in town with what the questioner called “offensive language,” Lutz recommended either getting neighbors together to have a conversation with the sign owner or going to the town zoning officer to see if there are any violations that would require the signs to be taken down. “But there’s only so much you can do,” she said. “We do have [federal laws] around free speech.” MacArthur said of signs, “It’s just stupid. Don’t these people know we have children in Ancram? But at least a sign never killed anyone.” He also felt that the town might try to limit when political signs could be posted to two or three weeks.

When a question about the intersection of routes 7 and 82 came up, Gold answered, “We invested time and energy meeting with the state and county departments of transportation, and we did commission an engineering study. Right now we are working with the power, phone, and cable companies to try to get utility poles moved.” Lutz said, “Public safety is one of our most important jobs on the board,” and pointed out that the engineering study was necessary in order to pursue any grant funding to help with the intersection. Hundt wanted to squash a rumor that Democratic nominees supported building a roundabout. “No. No one wants that. No one is talking about that.” Boice hoped that signage painted on Route. 7, blinking light stop signs, and a strobe in the existing overhead red light could help with safety. MacArthur agreed: “There have been some improvements and we can do more.” After getting no response from the state or county, he said that he went ahead and had “STOP AHEAD” painted on both entrances from Route 7. He also felt that the greatest problem was something beyond the town’s control: “You can’t fix the crazy way people drive.”

A member of the audience invited candidates to share ideas for new businesses or events they would encourage in Ancram. Lutz said she has been working with the Agricultural Advisory Council and talking about a farmers’ market, especially for the small farms for whom wider distribution is a challenge. Hundt suggested a restaurant. Gold talked about her volunteer involvement with the annual Roe-Jan Ramble bicycling event, and how many people she met from not just outside Ancram but out of state. Boice suggested a makers’ market with vendors at the Town Hall, movies on the Blass Field ballfield, yoga at the new pavilion in the mornings, and music on Friday nights, and she was especially in favor of events for Ancram kids 12 to 16. Lutz said, “More events will show that we are a vibrant community. People will come back and go to the new wine store [Fulton & Forbes], to the Little Store, to the Farmer’s Wife.” 

A question was asked of just the two Supervisor candidates: What would they do if ICE agents came after immigrant farm or construction workers in Ancram? Both said that this would not fall within their jurisdiction. MacArthur: “I disagree with a lot of what ICE is doing, but I have no problem with the government removing illegals with criminal records. As Supervisor, I’m not going to get involved in federal politics.” Lutz urged voters to pay attention to the stands of the candidates for Columbia County Sheriff, as that more capacity to protect undocumented workers.

Lutz was asked how much grant money she has raised for, and whether the town has received it. Her first answer was “close to $300,000” — $153,000 for the Highway Department salt shed, $125,000 for the new pavilion, and $12,000 for work at Ancram conservation properties. She added that the salt shed and pavilion funds have not yet been received. MacArthur blamed the way the state financial system works — a lack of clarity, transparency, and communication. Lutz said, “it’s all about being persistent. The state may hope that some towns give up [completing the paperwork, pursuing the payments]. We won’t.”

An individual asked Boice, whose husband, David, is a current board member and the town’s Fire Chief, whether her serving might create a conflict of interest. “Anyone familiar with Fire Department meetings will know that Dave and I do not always agree,” she said. “It’s up to the town to decide whether it’s OK for spouses to serve together. [Ancram has no restriction on this.] But, yes, it could make for an interesting Thanksgiving dinner.”

In his closing statement, MacArthur said that some people were recommending raising the Supervisor’s compensation — currently $5,000, with a proposed increase to $15,000 — in order to attract more and younger candidates. “The town budget is a moving thing,” he said. “We cannot keep raising taxes.” He expressed concern over the Roe-Jan Library’s request for more support from Ancram in 2026. “But I did not run for Supervisor because I want $5,000.  If it comes to the board for a vote to increase it, I’ll vote against it. I’m running for Supervisor because I was born here. I’m not serving for myself, I’m doing this for the people of Ancram.”  

Lutz said she would be happy to talk about the library budget in detail, “but not now. The focus now is on Ancram. I feel strongly that I am not here for the money. I am here for my children, and I hope for my potential grandchildren. I am here for the future of our town.”

Hundt said, “There are things in this town that need changing, but I do think that we really all share the same values. Get rid of the negativity; it doesn’t have to be that way. I’m proud to serve this town and I would love to continue to.” Dubray went back to the affordable housing issue and suggested that the town consider not just stick-built houses but effective use of double-wide trailers. “They would be cheaper to build and the taxes on them would be lower for the owners. I am committed to keeping the taxes down for everyone.” Boice joined others in thanking all present and said, “I have really enjoyed working with this community and I look forward to continuing to do just that.” Gold thanked the other five candidates for their time and looked forward to working with whoever gets elected. Her concluding remark: “No matter who sits on the Ancram board after Nov. 4, you will be well served.”