Democrat Trevor Roush defeated Republican incumbent Brian Walsh in Tuesday’s election for Pine Plains town supervisor, a year after voters elected Roush to the Town Board.
Roush received 598 votes to Walsh’s 465, a margin of 133 votes, according to unofficial Dutchess County Board of Elections returns as of 9:20 p.m. Tuesday. The tally included votes cast early, by mail, and on Election Day.
“Once the results are official, I’ll begin to make some calls and start the transition,” Roush told the Herald. “I would like to thank Brian for all of the work he has done and all of the work that he will continue to do in town. I hope I can have his continued support and guidance in my transition to the role of town supervisor.”
Last November, a hand recount confirmed that Brian Walsh had defeated Democrat Kevin Walsh, 427 to 419, a margin of eight votes. The two are unrelated. Brian Walsh served a one-year term as New York moved many local elections to even-numbered years.
If the unofficial results hold, Roush’s margin would be the widest in a contested Pine Plains supervisor race since 2013, when Democratic incumbent Brian Coons defeated Republican challenger Dorean Gardner by 246 votes, according to Dutchess County Board of Elections records.
Several voters who spoke with the Herald outside Stissing Mountain High School on Tuesday evening said Brian Walsh’s handling of a proposed Flock Safety camera system weighed on their choice for supervisor. Kayla Bowen, a Pine Plains resident who described herself as an independent, said both the cameras and the way the proposal advanced mattered to her.
“I don’t agree with that level of surveillance in general, and then I think that the way that it was handled was improper,” Bowen said.
Earlier this year, the Herald reported that Walsh gave Flock Safety written permission to install four surveillance cameras without Town Board approval. Walsh initially denied knowing about the installation plans or having a role in them. He later took responsibility and said he had understood the project to be a demonstration. The town attorney said the contract was void, and the Town Board adopted rules requiring its approval before the town could use such a system.
Vivian and Mason Berlinghoff, both independents, said the proposal was on their minds when they voted for supervisor. “I just think that that whole thing was shady and I’m just happy that it got taken care of,” Vivian said.
Other voters cited gas prices and the broader cost of living. In preelection interviews with the Herald, both candidates said they wanted to attract businesses and make it easier for young people to afford to stay in Pine Plains. Walsh, the town’s volunteer fire chief and a school district maintenance employee, emphasized keeping taxes low and finishing sidewalk work. Roush, a farmer and small-business owner, proposed a community finance committee to give residents more say in how the town spends its money.
Pine Plains voters also approved a measure raising the town’s annual contribution to the Pine Plains Free Library’s operating budget to $231,000. The vote was 733 to 323, with 69.4% in favor, according to unofficial county Board of Elections results.
For Alyssa Macbeth, the library measure was what brought her to the polls. “I think that’s really important because that benefits everybody,” she said. “So I’m basically here repping the library.”
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