Fulgenzi, Rogers Smalley, Hagadus-McHale the Choices in Mt. Pleasant
Since becoming Mount Pleasant supervisor in 2014, this is the first time Carl Fulgenzi has had any competition to retain his seat.
Democrat Joe Bonanno stepped up for the challenge, and he should be thanked for giving voters a choice, something that hasn’t happened often enough over the past 20 years.
But to get elected you have to do more than call the incumbent overpaid. Fulgenzi should be a clear choice to be returned to office for another two years.
There are several initiatives that Fulgenzi should be given the opportunity to finish, including the long-overdue update to the Master Plan. How a town goes a half-century without an overhaul to the document is a head-scratcher with all the changes that have taken place since 1970, but Fulgenzi deserves credit to have started the process in 2018.
He responded decisively toward a small group of critics of the proposed form-based code. A few, perhaps thinking they have a sympathetic ear because of party affiliation, have been put in their place when suggesting that multifamily housing can attract a criminal element.
Fulgenzi believes he can close the deal with developer William Balter to provide desperately needed senior housing at the Legionaries property, site of the aborted Baker residential project. If the town can obtain 16 acres for its own recreation center that would be a coup.
On Fulgenzi’s watch, the town has emphasized green initiatives with LED lighting and solar panels on various town properties.
Laurie Rogers Smalley has strong command of all the issues having served on the board for eight years. But she also enjoys helping people on a person-to-person basis. During the depths of the pandemic last year, she and her husband delivered meals to seniors, making a real difference in the community.
For the second council seat, Democrat Francesca Hagadus-McHale gets the nod over Thomas Sialiano, who has served four terms. That’s not an indictment of Sialiano, but the board could benefit from an opposing perspective. Hagadus-McHale served for one year when she won a race for an unexpired term in 2018.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/