Incumbent Supervisor Jack Cunningham has conceded to challenger Sam Messina in the Town of Bethlehem after absentee ballots were opened this morning at the county Board of Elections offices.

Election workers counted ballots from 12 out of 30 districts before Messina’s lead became insurmountable. Going into Thursday’s counting, Messina was leading Cunningham by 115 votes.

“I have to admit that I’m very disappointed, because I truly loved doing this job,” said Cunningham. “The voters are the ones that make this decision, the voters have made a decision, and I’ll abide by that.”

“I’m glad the entire process is over,” said Messina. “I look forward to functioning as the supervisor.”

Messina, who sits on the Town Board, said that he would be looking towards transitioning into the office of supervisor in the coming days and weeks. The Independence Party member emphasized his desire to reach across party lines and keep an open dialogue going in Town Hall.

Cunningham said he has already asked department heads to prepare briefs on their ongoing operations, projects and challenges for the incoming supervisor.

“This was my livelihood, so next I’ll be looking for something in order to pay the bills,” said Cunningham. He previously worked in banking, but said he would also like to continue work along the lines of what he did as supervisor.

“One of the thing I enjoyed so much as town supervisor was working on policy…and doing something for the community,” he said.

The Board of Elections will continue to tally the rest of the votes. Check back to www.spotlightnews.com for a fully tally once it becomes available, or read the Nov. 18 edition of The Spotlight.

By CHRISTEN GOWAN, Staff writer, Times Union

First published in print: Thursday, November 5, 2009

ALBANY — When Albany County election officials begin opening absentee ballots on Nov. 12, they expect to start with the still-undecided Bethlehem town supervisor’s race.

Sam Messina, an enrolled Independence Party member backed by the Republicans and Conservatives, leads incumbent Democrat Jack Cunningham by 109 votes, according to unofficial election results. Cunningham will have to win an overwhelming majority of the absentee ballots to overcome Messina’s lead.

“We’ll sit there and see what happens,” Messina said Wednesday. “I’m very, very comfortable with letting the process go forward.”

Cunningham said he was looking forward to the machines being recanvassed and the absentee ballots being counted. “I’ve always argued that we need to let the votes be counted,” the current supervisor said. “Whatever the will of the voters is, I’ll stand by it.”

Albany County Board of Elections sent out 468 absentee ballots for town voters and so far have received 170 ballots back. The ballots were required to have been postmarked by Nov. 2, and more are expected to arrive in the coming days.

Cunningham said he wanted a recount of the votes cast on the new electronic voting machines, which were stationed in seven of the town’s voting districts.

Republican elections commissioner John Graziano said the office will start counting all absentee ballots from county races, and likely will start with Bethlehem because it was the closest race in the county.

After the voting machine totals were tallied Tuesday, Messina led Cunningham, 4,630 to 4,521. A recanvassing of the machines will take place on Friday, possibly changing the vote totals.

This isn’t the first absentee ballot count in the Messina-Cunningham showdown. Just last week, elections officials counted 10 contested absentee ballots for the Working Families primary in the supervisor’s race. Messina had challenged Cunningham in state Supreme Court, saying many Working Families absentee ballots were cast by those who were not eligible at the time they voted. The judge agreed with Messina, but an appeals court overturned the decision.

The court challenge caused issues for the Albany County Board of Elections. Many absentee voters received their ballots after the deadline for returning them to the elections office. Graziano was critical of the court delaying arguments and its ruling.

“There are tremendous issues because the court doesn’t expedite anything for anybody,” Graziano said.

“Everybody has to fit into the court’s schedule.” No ballots postmarked after Nov. 2 will be accepted, the commissioner added.

Christen Gowan can be reached at 454-5350 or cgowan@timesunion.com.

Contact: Sam Messina

Phone: 518-859-2918

Email: Smessin3@nycap.rr.com

October 18, 2009, Delmar NY –

Sam Messina, current Bethlehem Town Board member and candidate for Bethlehem Town Supervisor has proposed amendments to the budget submitted by incumbent Supervisor, John Cunningham. The changes would eliminate the 2% proposed property tax rate included in Cunningham’s budget.

“I have raised the ideas of more comprehensive zero based budgeting to the Supervisor in the past, but nothing has ever really been done. It seems no matter what the issue, my recommendations, thoughts and ideas, never get seriously considered”, Messina said.

According to Messina’s Alternative Budget Proposal: “Budgets are much more than numbers. They reflect a government’s vision, ability to plan, make difficult choices and balance services, costs and competing priorities. Most of all, budgets, particularly at the municipal level, should be sensitive to the needs of our residents and business community. The Town Board needs to demonstrate that it will go to extraordinary efforts – since these are extraordinarily financially painful times for many – to show that we, as municipal leaders, feel their pain and that we are willing to do our part to ease that financial pain.”

Messina said “Bethlehem’s Finance Office and all Departments are staffed by skilled professionals. The Budget created for 2010, technically, is an excellent document. And there is no doubt that department heads and their staffs have done a good job controlling costs. The point that needs to be made is that a good job is not enough. It takes leadership from the Town Board, and particularly the Supervisor, to set forth a clear strategy and goals to tighten our belts a bit more than we have, just as taxpayers have been required to do.”

The budget revisions proposed in Councilman Messina’s proposal would include the following:

• Reducing expenditures in equipment and contractual services by 4% in major programs and by 2% in smaller programs. (Saving $155,000)
• Reducing the full time Supervisor’s salary by 5% and other part time Board and Town Justice position salaries by 10%. (Saving $40,000)
• Consolidating the Zoning Board of Appeals function into the Planning Board. (Saving $30,000)

These actions would generate sufficient savings, according to Messina to allow Bethlehem to have “a zero tax increase for 2010, and that could be achieved without disrupting program services one bit.”

The other major recommendation in Messina’s report is to  “forgo bonding of $780,000 for paving until this can be further evaluated in terms of actual need, and to assess innovative approach for pavement maintenance that are being pilot tested by the Highway Superintendent.”

Messina concluded by saying that it is “disappointing to read in the local print media and hear the Supervisor say in other forums that ‘his proposed budget increases taxes by only 2%’. Given the financial challenges residents are facing, I don’t think that they see any tax increase as ‘ONLY’, particularly when there are ways to reduce costs without disrupting services. Nor, in my estimation are our residents feeling better just because some other communities and Albany County are proposing tax rates above 2%. In these challenging financial times residents want Bethlehem to set its own course, and that means lowering costs in responsible ways and keeping taxes down as much as possible… I have seen tears in the eye of a grown man and cracking voices of more folks than I can mention, when they have told me that they must leave their Bethlehem homes after living here a lifetime, because they can no longer afford the taxes. That is sad. ”

Messina’s full report, 2010 Town of Bethlehem Budget Proposal – An Alternative is available on his website at www.messinaforsupervisor.com.

ALBANY — A state Supreme Court justice has thrown out 11 absentee ballots cast in the Working Families Party primary for Bethlehem town supervisor, a decision that gives the third-party line to challenger Sam Messina.
The ballots were never opened, but town Supervisor Jack Cunningham wanted them counted in the primary.

Messina, who was endorsed by the labor-backed party and received 10 votes cast on primary night, objected.

Justice Kimberly O’Connor released her ruling Tuesday, saying that the 11 voters who cast the absentee ballots were not “qualified and registered” to vote in the Working Families Party.

Messina filed the suit after he said the Albany County Board of Elections allowed several people to drop off voter registration cards for 11 town residents and take absentee ballot applications for those people. The suit named Democratic Elections Commissioner Matthew Clyne and Republican Elections Commissioner John Graziano, as well as Cunningham. Read More: Times Union

CHRISTEN GOWAN STAFF WRITER

Section: Capital Region,  Page: D1

Date: Friday, October 2, 2009

BETHLEHEM — Operatives and candidates in the Democratic and Republican parties covet third-party lines. Winning a third-party primary guarantees a major party candidate a second slot on the ballot.  Read more at : Times Union

A state Supreme Court judge on Thursday, Oct. 1, withheld judgment in a lawsuit filed by Bethlehem supervisor hopeful Sam Messina against incumbent Jack Cunningham over votes that could decide who will appear on the Working Families Party line in November.

Judge Kimberly O’Connor asked for supplemental briefs from both sides after five hours in court on Thursday, and will likely deliver a decision early next week.

Republican-endorsed Messina—who is a member of the Independence Party—is alleging that 11 voters who registered with the Working Families Party on the eve of the cutoff to vote in the primary election did not properly verify their identities, and thus the absentee ballots the submitted should be invalidated.

He also contends that the registrations were an effort by Cunningham to seize control of the WFP in Bethlehem. Including the last-minute registrants, there are approximately 28 WFP voters in the town, and the party endorsed Messina.

According to Albany County Republican Election Commissioner John Graziano, a third party entered the Board of Elections offices on Aug. 20 and asked for Democratic Commissioner Matthew Clyne, who accepted the registration and absentee ballot applications.

“The intent of the people who brought these applications in was to walk out with ballots that people could vote on, which would essentially amount to same day voting,” Graziano said.

Clyne, who is also the chairman of the Bethlehem Democratic Party, said that the identity of the voters was indeed verified through the application process, and they were fine to cast votes.

“There’s no question that they were in fact validated,” Clyne said. “All of their identities were confirmed…these are authentic voters.”

New voters are required to provide the last four digits of their social security number or their driver’s license number. If these are not confirmed through the statewide voter database they will be flagged on the voter rolls and required to provide identification at the polling place, but since these voters were voting by absentee ballot that rule does not apply, said Clyne.

“The whole issue of producing identification doesn’t even apply,” he said.

Graziano and Messina both said that identity would have to be provided through the mail for a first time voter using an absentee ballot.

The absentee ballots were objected to by Messina’s attorney, James Walsh, and have remained sealed in anticipation of a judge’s ruling.

“I think there was an orchestrated effort to register voters to control the party,” Messina said. “It just does not seem to be right in the spirit of the law to have so many people registered and absentee ballots used by new voters all at once.”

Cunningham, a Democrat who will also appear on the Independence line in November, said that his campaign efforts have been legitimate.

“Whenever I run for office, I work to register people to vote, and encourage them to enroll in parties,” he said. “That’s no different in this election.”

Clyne said that signing new voters up to the WFP is simply politics.

“The effort was to beat him [Messina] in the primary election, because people went out and did campaign work, which he apparently elected not to do,” Clyne said. “Not only isn’t it illegal, but that’s the name of the game.”

O’Connor’s decision could well swing the outcome of the primary. Messina received 10 votes on Sept. 15 and Cunningham, who staged a write-in campaign, was the recipient of four votes. Two absentee ballots left the vote at 11-5.

Including August’s registrants, there are approximately 28 WFP members registered in the Town of Bethlehem, said the party’s Capital Region Organizer Karen Scharff. She said the party is dedicated to a clean election process and is thus behind Messina’s effort.

“In general, county boards of elections don’t pay enough attention to the absentee ballot process,” she said. “We want to make sure our registrants have their votes cast accurately.”

Messina’s lawsuit comes while a full-scale investigation into allegations of Democrat-perpetrated voter fraud on the WFP line in Troy is underway. Messina said the two instances are not alike.

“No one is alleging fraud in this case,” he said.

Phone: 518-859-2918

Email: Smessin3@nycap.rr.com

August 30, 2009, Bethlehem NY –

On August 28^th the Public Employees Federation (PEF) endorsed Bethlehem Town Councilman Sam Messina in his bid for Bethlehem Town Supervisor.

PEF is New York’s second largest state-employee union, and represents professional, scientific and technical employees working in state and local governments.

“PEF is confident that you will serve the working men and women of the Town of Bethlehem with distinction,” said William Wurster, PEF Capital Region Coordinator. “We are confident that your experience as a Town Board Member and a professional in state government; your service to various boards and volunteer organizations; and your undeniable dedication to the community will be an asset to your constituents.”

As someone who has spent most of his professional career in the management ranks of stat government, Messina considers it “ an honor to be endorsed by the professional employees he worked with”.

During his 30 years of New York State service Sam Messina served in four State agencies: The Departments of State, Budget, Environmental Conversation and Lottery, respectively. He also served during the administrations of five Governors.

According to Messina, the PEF endorsement “validates that his reason for seeking to be Bethlehem Supervisor, is exactly the philosophy he lived by during his 30-year career in New York State government: “ I try to approach every person, program and decision from the perspective that we all have a stake in good government – one that puts cost-effectiveness, compassion and service to the public above all else.”

Sam Messina concluded by saying: “I believe it is this philosophy that has earned me, as a registered Independence Party member, not only the endorsement of the Republican, Conservative and Working Families Parties, but the Public Employees Federation as well”.

Written by: Jarrett Carroll, Spotlight Staff
email: carrollj@spotlightnews.com

Two objections have been filed in Bethlehem races on both the Working Families Party the Independence Party lines against Supervisor Jack Cunningham and his slate for running in the fall elections.

Independence Party Councilman Sam Messina is challenging Cunningham, a Democrat, for supervisor and is cross endorsed by the Republican, Conservative and Working Families parties after his own party endorsed Cunningham.

The two are set to face off in September in a primary for the Independence line after Messina petitioned for it.  On Wednesday, July 22, Cunningham filed an opportunity to ballot on the Working Families Party line against Messina, which if accepted by the board of elections would allow party member to write in a candidate.

According to documents obtained by The Spotlight, a Working Families Party member filed an objection against Cunningham’s opportunity to ballot form the same day he filed it.  The Independence Party member objection was filed on Monday, July 20, and is a general objections to the designating petitions of Cunningham, Mark Jordan, Kyle Kotary, Nanci Moquin and Gregg Sagendorph.

The Independence objection was general, but the Working Families Party objection lists three specific objections to Cunningham’s petition with five signatures.  It states the witness signatures pre-date the signers, with signers dated on July 19 and 20 and the witness statements signed on June 21; there is no sheet number on the petition; and that “We believe no oath was administered at time of signatures.”

Cunningham said he doesn’t believe the Independence Party objection was filed on time, but a call to the Albany County Board of Elections on the matter was not immediately returned.

Messina, said Cunningham never wanted the Working Families line and never interviewed for it and that he was “up front” with all political parties in telling them he was seeking the support of a coalition of political parties to represent all people.

The supervisor said he is appealing “directly to the people” of the Working Families Party, which he said has a political philosophy more in line with his own than that of Messina who has the backing of Republicans and Conservatives.

“I am seeking the support of the Working Families Party.  The party leadership is not where that determination is made,” Cunningham said. “That authority lies with the party members, first through the petition process and later through a vote on primary day.”

Karen Scharff, spokeswoman for the Working Families Party of the Capital District, said Cunningham never interviewed with her party and they believe Messina is the better supervisor candidate because of his calls for more open government, which has become an contentious issue in both campaigns.

“If Jack Cunningham had wanted our endorsement he could have talked with us.  Now all of a sudden because Sam has the line he wants our support,” Scharff told The Spotlight.  “We choose candidates to allow voters to have a choice and they’re attempting to take away that choice through subterfuge.”

Cunningham said he thinks an opportunity to ballot will only serve to open up the process and questioned the petition objection from a Working Families Party member.

“Unlike my opponent, I did not file objections to attempt to prevent the party members from having the opportunity to vote,” he said.

For updates on this breaking story return to www.spotlightnews.com , or read the Wednesday, July 29, print edition of The Spotlight.

Contact: Sam Messina

Phone: 518-850-2918

Email: Smessin3@nycap.rr.com

BETHLEHEM RESIDENT AND TOWN BOARD MEMBER VOTED IN AS BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR OF FAMILY AND CHILDRENS SERVICES OF THE CAPITAL REGION

Sam Messina says that he is honored to serve as chairperson of Family and Children’s Services of the Capital Region, the oldest counseling and family services not-for-profit social services organization in the United States.

July 23, 2009 – Delmar, NY –

“After five years as a Samaritans Suicide Intervention volunteer at Family and Children’s Services and then working with our terrific board members for the last year, I consider it a privilege to serve as our board chair.”

“Some not-for-profit organizations truly get to help people where and when they really need help. Family and Children’s Services of the Capital Region is one of those that impact the lives of people in vitally important ways.”

Family and Children’s Services serves the Capital Region though a number of services: the 2-1-1 human services information hotline, an Employee Assistance Program, Counseling Services for individuals and families, the Center for Problem Gambling, Youth Empowerment Services for at risk youth and other services.

Sam Messina is also a long time volunteer in many other programs including the Bethlehem Senior’s Program, Youth Court, Organ Donation Programs, Hospitality House and the Albany Medical Center Chaplains Program.

###

Written by: Jarrett Carroll, Spotlight Staff
email: carrollj@spotlightnews.com

Bethlehem Republicans say they are backing Councilman Sam Messina to take on incumbent Democrat Jack Cunningham for the town’s top spot.

“I am pleased to get the Republican endorsement for supervisor,” Messina said.  “It’s important because it is a major line, but it’s also important to me because the Republican interview team asked important and probing questions.”

Concluding, he said, “I told them I would represent them and that I would do the best I could to represent all of the people in the Town of Bethlehem.”

This gives Messina his third ballot line and first major party line against Cunningham, who recently got endorsed by Messina’s own party.  Messina said he will primary Cunningham for the Independence Party line, which would give him four lines to Cunningham’s single Democratic ticket line.  If Cunningham wins, it would give him two party lines to Messina’s three.

Messina’s other two ballot lines come courtesy of the Albany County Conservative Party and the Working Families Party of the Capital District.  

Both supervisor candidates say they are confident they will win the Independence Party primary in September.

Bethlehem Republican Chairwoman Melody Burns said the full committee voted to endorse Messina on Monday, June 8, as well as Melanie Calzone for town clerk.  The party has also endorsed incumbent Republican Gregg Sagendorf for highway superintendent.

Calzone, a political newcomer, will face Democrat Nanci Moquin who is currently the administrative assistant to the town’s planning and zoning boards.  However, Calzone reportedly has the endorsement of current long-time Republican Town Clerk Kathleen Newkirk.

Sagendorf, also a Republican, seemingly has support across the board with cross endorsements from the Democrat, Independence and Conservative parties.

Burns said the committee would vote on candidates for the two open Town Board seats by this Friday, June 12, effectively putting together a full slate for the November elections.

She said only one committee member voted against Messina because he wasn’t a registered Republican.

“We voted to endorse Sam Messina for supervisor,” Burns said.  “There was some discussion on that, but we feel he’s fiscally conservative, which is very important for us.”

As for the delays in putting up Town Board candidates, Burns has said throughout the selection process that the committee was only seeking qualified and committed candidates and was not going to be rushed into “just filling a slate with names.”

“We’re really thinking carefully about who will get our endorsement,” she said.  “Whenever we endorse someone we want to make sure they are prepared and fully committed to serving the town and representing us.”

Burns said they are making the announcements this week, however, in order to be able to begin gathering petition signatures.

“I’m very excited about the team we have right now with Sam, Gregg and Melanie, and we’re looking forward to adding to the team by the end of week,” said Burns.

If Messina is successful in his quest for supervisor, it would be the first return of a Republican-backed candidate to the Town Board since Democrats and Independence Party members took unanimous control in 2005.  Democrats took a majority control of the board for the first time in memorable history in 2003 with the election of former Democratic supervisor Theresa Egan.

Messina said he has begun gathering Independence Party signatures to primary Cunningham for his party line.  He needs to gather 5 percent of the 1,400 registered party members in town, or around 70 signatures.

“I’m getting very, very good feedback,” Messina said of knocking on the doors of party members.  “I don’t have a political organization out there financing me … but I am going door to door and people are supporting me.”

Petitions signer can only sign the petition of one candidate – so Independence Party members will have to decide to either support Cunningham, a Democrat, or their own party member, Messina, for supervisor.

They can, however, sign the petition of other positions such as Town Board, town clerk, or highway superintendent.  Multiple petition signatures is a common disqualification when it comes time to submit the petition to the county’s board of elections.

For updates on this story, return to www.spotlightnews.com, or read the Wednesday, June 17, print edition of The Spotlight. 

You can contact carrollj@spotlightnews.com with any questions.