Trevor Sussey is running as a write-in candidate in the upcoming Saranac Lake Village Board of Trustees election. (Enterprise photo — Amy Scattergood)

SARANAC LAKE — On a recent morning, Trevor Sussey, 33, sat with a cup of coffee in Berkeley Green and talked about why he’s thrown his woolen hat into the upcoming village trustee election as a write-in candidate.

The election, to be held on Sept. 15, was postponed from March because of COVID-19. This, Sussey said, is the reason he’s not on the ballot, as he didn’t intend to run for trustee when the balloting was closed in mid-February.

“A lot more people are paying attention now with COVID,” said Sussey, numbering himself among them. “There are a lot more fears out there that have suddenly appeared: People are afraid of losing their jobs, businesses closing.” Running for a position on the board is his way of paying attention — and asking the rest of us to do that, too.

Sussey, who is a registered Democrat, Fred Balzac (Green Party), Tom Catillaz (Democrat) and Rich Shapiro (Democrat) are currently running for two open four-year seats on the Saranac Lake Village Board of Trustees. Catillaz and Shapiro are incumbents. Both Sussey and Balzac have been endorsed by High Peaks DSA, the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. Election day is Sept. 15.

Sussey was born and raised in Saranac Lake and graduated from Saranac Lake High School, SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Plattsburgh. He’s a high school special education teacher.

“I’ve lived here my whole life, and I’ve seen the village go through a lot of changes. My family didn’t have a lot of money; my parents worked two jobs usually,” said Sussey. “Growing up here there’s a prosperity that you get to witness, but it wasn’t until I was an adult that I recognized how many opportunities exist in the village, and to take part in that. I wish that for everybody.”

Sussey identifies the wealth gap as one of the central issues that Saranac Lake is facing. “You see it everywhere now, but I think it goes back for generations, probably to the beginning of the tourist economy. Getting out canvassing, I’ve met a lot of those people who feel really marginalized,” he said, not just in terms of class and economics but also race.

“We’re talking about diversity, and a lot of it relates to feeling marginalized,” he said. “I want to be able to represent those types of folks.”

The cultural identity of a community can also get marginalized. “What gets lost is a place where families can afford to live,” said Sussey, who brought up the issue of affordable housing for locals being replaced by Airbnbs meant for and marketed to visitors.

“I see the development in the village. There’s a lot of it, and it’s a good thing,” said Sussey. “But we need to balance it so that we can keep people here. There’s more tourism than ever, which is kind of amazing. We have a pretty unique identity in this town that we’re at risk of losing if we continue on this pattern.”

So what does he suggest? “I think that the solution is to cater more to middle-class people with families,” says Sussey. “Attracting the right kind of tourism, the blue-collar workers, the families who want somewhere where they can go ride bikes with their kids and see the mountains, get out on the lake. They’ll visit some of these stores and restaurants.”

Sussey said that he’s recently thought about how his own profession has a bearing on his new foray into the world of local politics.

“When you’re trying to help someone adapt to a school curriculum, you’re including all the stakeholders — the parents, the students, the schools — and you’re getting all this data, you’re making plans, you’re assessing the data to figure out what’s working.” And, sometimes more importantly, what’s not. “I think it uniquely suits me to work in this capacity.”

Sussey said that while he’s been out knocking on doors, he’s been hearing from folks about their fears and concerns. “They think they need to move out of this area, because of the cost of living, of food and housing,” he said.

“People have grown up with this problem, and now it’s almost compounded generationally,” Sussey said when asked if he thought this was a new issue having to do with the pandemic. “People are saying what their parents have said, and they never got out when they could, and now thinking, ‘Maybe I should.’ “

Another issue is that in many elections, officials have run unopposed. “We need choices,” Sussey said, which was another reason he decided to run.

“People who have families, people who are working two jobs, are they going to come out and vote? I hope so. I hope everybody does. But they might not and that’s part of the problem. If you don’t know who you’re voting for, write in your neighbor. At least you’re part of the process.”

The Sept. 15 election will take place at the Harrietstown Town Hall Auditorium at 39 Main St. in Saranac Lake. Polls are open from noon to 9 p.m. The entrance and exit are along the side of the building, and there is handicapped access. Sept. 4 is the last day to register to vote for the village election. Sept. 8 is the last day to submit an application for an absentee ballot. In-person ballots must be received by Sept. 14. Absentee ballots must be received by Sept. 15.