On April 4 at the local Town Council meeting, New Paltz Town Supervisor Neil Bettez announced his resignation from the town supervisor position, with a year and a half still remaining in his term. He is leaving office to work as the climate resilience program manager of the Hudson River Estuary Program at the state Department of Environmental Conservation, where he will work to implement solutions to climate adaptation at both the local and state levels. His resignation is expected to be effective May 3, and the town of New Paltz has begun the process of searching for a new town supervisor.
Due to the nature of the election cycle, the individual to fill Bettez’s role will be appointed by the New Paltz town council when Bettez officially leaves office. They will be appointed as the interim supervisor, meaning they will hold the position only temporarily until November when general elections take place. Voters will then be able to elect their candidate of choice, and the elected candidate will serve until the end of what would have been Bettez’s term in 2025. However, due to the fact that Bettez’s resignation is late into the election cycle, the candidates made available on the ballot will be selected by the New Paltz Democratic committee. Bettez hopes that whoever is chosen as the interim supervisor will be chosen again in the general election, as the town supervisor role is the highest position within the town council and the transition would run far smoother this way.
The main responsibilities of the town supervisor include administering town affairs and finances, overseeing law enforcement, maintaining order in the town and coordinating communication with the town council and other local groups. With Bettez leaving office, residents are concerned about many local decisions being left up in the air, such as whether New Paltz will opt in to the Emergency Tenant Protection Act.
Bettez’s wish for the same candidate to be chosen as the interim supervisor and official town supervisor is shared by the New Paltz Democratic Committee Town Chair Evan Holland Shepler, who is working to make such a feat possible. However, it will require the potential candidate to apply for the same position in both cycles. As of April 12, the committee has not been made aware of any applications.
The open application period will be running until May. Following the review of their resume, potential candidates can expect both an interview with the committee as well as a series of questions from the public at the candidate forum on May 11. Committee members will make informal candidate endorsements by May 15, and candidates will be formally nominated by June 26. Any New Paltz resident who is interested in taking up the role of town supervisor should email newpaltzdems@gmail.com a copy of their resume and cover letter, or send them through the online form.