The Herald interviewed the candidates for local office in Milan. Only one person is running for the positions of Town Supervisor and for Town Clerk. There are three candidates for two seats on Town Board and two entries in the race for Town Justice.
Town Supervisor
Bill Jeffway (Democrat)
Bill Jeffway has been a full-time Milan resident since 2017, after retiring from a 30-year advertising career in New York City. He has been a Town Board member for eight years and has sat on its Planning Board and Comprehensive Plan Committee. Jeffway has served as Milan Town Historian and been the director of the Dutchess County Historical Society since 2017.
“My house was built in 2001, and I was a weekender at first,” he said. Jeffway quickly became a town volunteer, and founded Milan Concerns in 2002 — a nonpartisan group of citizens who worked to prevent the construction of an industrial gravel mine in town. “Many people thought nothing could be done, but New York is a home-rule state. Milan has the ultimate power to say yes or no, and the right and responsibility to set our own future. It took 10 years, but we got it done: Milan said no to industrial mining.”
Jeffway decided to run for Town Supervisor when Alfred Lo Brutto announced his retirement after a six-year tenure. “I will definitely not do anything differently from Al, who did a great job of conservative fiscal management while still addressing the community’s needs,” Jeffway said. “The Town Supervisor is the chief financial officer, and should also create a culture of respect and welcome in the entire town.”
Jeffway said his goal is to avoid surprises. “One potential surprise is the informal plan for a camp — the biggest construction project in the history of Milan — which our zoning doesn’t permit,” he said, referring to a proposed Turkey Hill Road church retreat at the former Red Wing Gravel site (now owned by Ministerio Internacional Tierra Deseable). Another potential surprise according to Jeffway is Red Wing Sand and Gravel’s proposal to convert the Roe-Jan mine (which it owns) into a gravel import-export processing center. “This mine is exhausted; it’s supposed to be reclaimed and covered with topsoil,” Jeffway said. “The Milan Town Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Planning Board must intercept both of these plans.”
Town Board (two seats open)
Clint Bond Jr. (D)
Clint Bond Jr. said he is focused on community service, not politics. The Michigan-born marketing strategist has lived in Milan since 2012 and is a founding member of Red Hook Responds, which provides services — such as delivering groceries or dinner — to those in need. “It helped me connect to all kinds of people,” he said. “I still grocery-shop for some of our shut-ins.”
Bond said that he was inspired to run for Town Board after a discussion with Dutchess County legislator Chris Drago (D-19). “He set the tone of no divisiveness; that we must care for each other and serve our community,” he said. “That conversation showed me this is what I’d love to do.”
If elected, Bond wants to encourage a similar dialogue in Milan. “Just because I’m a Democrat, it doesn’t mean a Republican or Independent will be less heard,” he said. “I look forward to meeting people to hear about their main concerns, so we can act on them.”
Bond hopes to upgrade Milan’s social media presence to improve communication and encourage local gatherings. “Milan has no town center — the whole town is the town center,” he said. “A vibrant Facebook page and town Instagram would be a great way to help us come together. It’s all about the conversation.”
Preserving Milan’s beauty and diversity is another priority: “Our town includes farmers, weekenders, and families raising kids. There are big homes next to farms, next to traditional smaller homes; we don’t need strip malls. Milan is gorgeous.”
Glenn Carrezola (R)
Vietnam veteran Glenn Carrezola has lived in Milan for 18 years. “I had been working in Poughkeepsie, and wanted out — to move into deep rural country,” he said. “I love the lifestyle of Milan, the serenity, and the character of the area. It’s what drew me here.”
A Caterpillar employee for 40 years, Carrezola started as a heavy equipment technician, then was promoted to training manager. “I worked my way up the ladder: At one point I had 21 employees under me,” he said. Carrezola was hired away by the international Union of Operating Engineers advisory board, and spent the last 12 years of his career as training director and fund administrator, retiring in 2016.
Carrezola said he became active in the Milan Republican Party to connect to the community. “I’d been in the silent minority, sitting on my hands,” he said. “I’m the eyes and ears of the community, and I want more involvement.” One of Carrezola’s priorities would be to address local speeding problems. “We need more coverage by state police,” he said.
Community engagement is another top issue for Carrezola. “I want to invite everyone to board meetings, to let them know what’s going on. We have to figure out new ways to get the message out,” he said. Carrezola is opposed to eminent domain — a hot topic since the Town of Red Hook’s controversial decision in July to acquire a boat club to create a public park. “That issue really resonates with me: I don’t want to see it happen in Milan,” he said.
Carrezola believes everyone in Milan needs to work together. “I don’t care what party you’re in,” he said. “The Town Board is doing a good job, but I’d like a seat at the table.”
Glenn Weinrich (D)
Glenn Weinrich grew up on a farm in Schuykill County, Pa., where he baled hay and mowed lawns. After college, Weinrich moved to New York City to work in advertising for CBS Sports and Spotify. “I started coming up to Milan in 2019 every weekend to get out of the city, then moved here fully in 2020,” he said.
Since being laid off in 2023, Weinrich brokers jobs for a local general contractor and works construction. He has volunteered as a T-ball coach in Pine Plains, served as sponsorship coordinator for the Rhinebeck Soccer League, and was one of 10 construction leads for Stanfordville’s SPARC Park rebuild.
“This would be my first Milan town position,” Wienrich said. “It’s an exciting opportunity to get to know my neighbors and learn what I can do to help them. I want to listen to all voices — I don’t care about anyone’s political party.”
One of Weinrich’s top priorities is to preserve Milan’s quiet beauty. “It’s what drew us all here,” he said. “We don’t need to be overly developed, or have a strip mall.”
Weinrich said he wants to keep an eye on threats to the town such as big noise trucks, mining, traffic, and pollution. “I would also like to take another look at Milan’s Comprehensive Plan, to see how our tax revenue is being spent. The document is 18 years old, and may not represent our current needs,” he said. “I’d like to at least review it and consider whether or not it needs modernizing given the changing times.”
The candidate’s other goals include improving the town’s social media, updating its mailing list, and encouraging volunteerism. “Milan has no deli or stoplight — not even a farmer’s market where people can gather,” Weinrich said. “We need to revise the idea of community by devising programs to get families together, and get past our differences.”
Town Clerk
Ingrid Kulick (D)
Ingrid Kulick has lived in the Milan area for 41 years. A nonprofit executive leader and consultant for 40 years, Kulick retired in January 2024 and has since served as Milan’s Deputy Town Clerk.
“Catherine Gill is stepping down after 27 years as Town Clerk and tax collector, and she’s done a superb job,” Kulick said. “I’ve worked as her deputy for 18 months. [After the election] she’ll stay on for six months to be my deputy to help me through the transition — it will be tax collecting time!”
Kulick has served on the Milan Zoning Board of Appeals, and the town’s bicentennial and power line committees. “I’ve gotten to know people, learn about how town government works, and how I can help make Milan’s future a good one,” she said.
Once elected, Kulick hopes to update the town tax payment system: “Right now, people can only pay with cash or checks. Weekenders and those who travel would really benefit from an online payment option, like a credit card. We want to help all of Milan’s residents.”
Town Justice
Lawrence Longo (R)
Lawrence Longo has owned and operated his 161-acre farm in Milan for 23 years. “I’ve lived in the area for 40 years,” he said. “My first farm was in Clinton. I used to raise vegetables and cows; now I [raise] hay.”
Longo is a 30-year veteran with Westchester County Police Department. “I retired in 2011,” he said. “There were a lot of years that I worked as a patrol officer and a farmer at the same time. It wasn’t easy, but I just made it work.” Longo has also served as part-time groundskeeper for the Town of Milan and provided roadside mowing.
“I’ve wanted to be Town Justice since I retired,“ he said. “I would give everyone a fair shake, whether they lived here, or were just passing through.” Longo said that if elected, he would consider suggesting that Milan provide officers to patrol the town’s back roads. “Just a presence, to keep things safe,” he said. “Our quality of life is good here in Milan, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
Slade Mead (D)
Connecticut native Slade Mead has been a Milan resident for three years. He first worked as a lawyer specializing in professional sports salary arbitration. “We raised our kids in Phoenix, where I became a classroom mom to help our special needs daughter,” he said. Mead served as president of the school board, and was elected to a two-year term as an Arizona State Senator in 2002. “I was an independent at the time,” he said, “But I moved to the Democratic Party because they supported similar issues, like full-day kindergarten.”
Mead relocated to Pawling in 2009 to be near his daughter’s residential care facility. He is currently the Director of College Placement at Trinity-Pawling School, and assistant wrestling coach. With an eye on retirement, Mead moved to Milan in 202. “This town has a friendly vibe. I love the rural feel,” he said. He has served on the Milan Zoning Board of Appeals.
According to Mead, the Town Justice has two jobs: “You administer the rules, and you are the face of the town, like an ambassador. How you treat someone who’s ticketed on the Taconic impacts how they view the town. When people come to court, the law is the law, but you can be helpful — make it less painful — by asking if they need help with a payment plan. You never know, they might even want to move here one day.”