Fontana, currently a town councilwoman, has also independently filed to run on the Integrity party line. Maroun did not file independently, and the deadline to file an independent petition for office has passed, so for him to get on the ballot, he’d have to get a party nomination at either the Democratic or Conservative caucuses.

According to Franklin County Republican Election Commissioner Tracy Sparks, these parties have around another month to hold caucuses. The deadline for election officials to receive party nominations is July 27, and caucuses must be advertised 10 days in advance to give the public notice.

John Quinn, who was the “ad hoc” chair of the Tupper Lake Democratic Party last year, said he took on that role to get John Gillis elected to the town board since the Democratic Party is largely “unorganized” in Tupper Lake as of late. He said he hadn’t heard of any plans for a caucus this year yet.

Tim Larkin said on Tuesday he is planning to hold a village-only Conservative caucus after he is appointed as the party chair. This caucus would likely happen early next month, but a date has not been set. Larkin was also nominated as a Republican candidate for town council at Monday’s caucus.

Tupper Lake village Mayor Paul Maroun, left, in white, and town Councilwoman Mary Fontana, who are both running for the village mayor position in the Nov. 7 election, speak after shaking hands at the Republican caucus on Monday, where GOP voters selected Fontana to represent their party over Maroun. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

Maroun had support from several members of the board. Trustees Leon Leblanc and David “Haji” Maroun nominated him to be considered as the Republican choice. Joe Arsenault nominated Fontana. There were around 60 people at the caucus, including town Republicans and people from other parties. In all, 45 Republicans voted in the village caucus. Fontana got 28 votes, and Maroun got 17.

Maroun chalked this up to a “split” in the Republican Party. He feels the village’s general votes differ from that at the Republican caucus.

“This happened to me last time, and I won as an independent,” Maroun said.

In 2021, Maroun’s seat was challenged by Eric Shaheen, who took both the Republican and Conservative party lines. Maroun ran on the Independence line. After the two tied exactly on election night votes, the race was decided in Maroun’s favor when absentee ballots were opened two weeks later. Maroun won by 16 votes, and Shaheen is now a village trustee.

Maroun believes that race was so close because Shaheen had secured two party lines, one a major party, while he was relegated to an independent line.

Mary Fontana (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

Maroun said he has worked hard for the community and has “no hidden agendas.” Meanwhile, he said Fontana will have some “inherent problems.”

“I feel I’ve done a lot in 13 years. We’re sitting in one big thing that I did here,” Maroun said as voices echoed around the truck bays of the emergency services building, which was named in his honor in 2018. “When you’re mayor for 13 years, nobody remembers that you helped them. They always remember when something bad happens.”

As the leader of the village, he said he’s had to make some tough decisions.

Maroun said people are still mad at him over his enforcing of the COVID-19 rules during the coronavirus pandemic, but he feels he did the right thing.

Fontana said it was humbling and exciting to get her party’s support.

David Haji Maroun (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

“Now it’s very real,” she said.

It was real when she filed her independent petition, but getting the support of the party is a “big confidence booster.”

To get on her independent line, Fontana went door-to-door to dozens of houses with people she knew would be friendly toward signing her petition. She said the people she talked to are ready for a change in the village.

She has eight years of experience on the town board, including several months as the interim town supervisor last year. Clint Hollingsworth, who was elected as the town supervisor in November 2021, died from cancer in February 2022, leaving “some pretty big shoes to fill,” she said. Before Rick Dattola was elected as the town supervisor last November, she held that role.

If she wins, “I hope Paul will be a mentor and let me shadow him a bit,” she said.

Leon LeBlanc (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

She plans to campaign more on social media this year, to draw in people who aren’t already engaged with politics, but she added that political battles are not fought in Facebook comments.

Both candidates said the village offers more services than the town government does. Currently, there are several controversies surrounding those services that both candidates are addressing: poor water quality and discoloration after years of digging wells around town, struggling village finances as costs rise and the tax base stays still, a diminished police force with low staffing numbers, and a long dispute between the village and town over how much the town contributes to the police. For the past six months, that amount has been zero, and village police no longer respond to calls in the town outside the village.

For an overview of Maroun and Fontana’s platforms, read on at https://bit.ly/3PmU3Oa.

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Village trustees and justice

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The only other competitive race at the caucus was for two open village trustee seats.

Incumbent trustees Leon Leblanc and David “Haji” Maroun were selected by voters. Fontana had also nominated fellow town Councilwoman Tracy Luton.

It was a close vote, but the current trustees got just a few more votes than Luton. Leblanc tallied 27 votes, Haji got 26, and Luton took 21.

Fontana said she had hoped to run with Luton. After eight years together on the town board, they’ve become very close, something Luton compared to a marriage of sorts.

Chris Delair was the sole nominee for village justice.

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Town positions

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There were no contested seats for town Republicans. These positions could still be challenged through candidates at the Democratic and Conservative caucuses

Mary Kucipeck-Strack got the sole nomination for the town clerk position.

Bill Dechene got the sole nomination for highway superintendent.

Crystal Boucher and Tim Larkin were nominated to run for the town board. Fontana and Luton are not running for reelection on the council.

Boucher said she hopes to bring a “well-rounded background” to the board and said she can see from “many different points of view.”

“Running for a local office has been in the back of my mind for some time,” Boucher wrote in an email. “I want to help make a difference and give back to the community that welcomed me and has been the place I call home for over 20 years.”

She describes herself as a single mom, homeowner and local business owner of ADK L&M Contracting. She has worked in association management, financial institutions and is currently the Tupper Lake Central School District’s junior class advisor and a teaching assistant for math intervention. Boucher said she previously served on the Franklin County Youth Advisory Board and as an AMVETS auxiliary member

“I believe, cumulatively, this gives me a solid background to carefully analyze issues, while listening to and weighing other’s views/opinions that would bring us towards the ultimate goal of making the best decisions for taxpayers and Tupper Lake as a whole,” Boucher wrote.

She said the town board has had many successes in recent years and she wants to “keep the strong momentum.” She said Dattola is doing a “great job.”

“I will continue to work towards promoting and protecting the growth that our community has experienced and be a steward for ALL the taxpayers,” Boucher wrote.

Larkin ran for town council in 2021 but placed just a few votes behind earning one of the two open seats in the competitive election. He said the town is run well currently, and he believes he’s got the knowledge and experience to help the town get to where he wants it to be.

Larkin served on the village board for two non-consecutive terms — once around the turn of the millennium and another in 2006.

Now, he said he’d like to work on sorting out the water districts between the village and town. Larkin is a member of the Tupper Lake Business Group. When he ran two years ago, he talked of wanting to build recreational trails and improve the quality of life in Tupper Lake to attract more young residents.

Getting the Republican Party’s nod on Monday meant a lot to him, he said. He’s registered as a Conservative, but the GOP support means something to him personally.

Early voting in the general election will begin on Oct. 28 and last until Nov. 5. Polls open on Election Day, Nov. 7, at 6 a.m. and will be open until 9 p.m.