Paul Van Cott (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

SARANAC LAKE — Five candidates are in the running for two seats on the Saranac Lake Village Board of Trustees.

Four of those candidates are on the ballot. Independents Sean Ryan and Katie Stiles are running on the Republican Party line as well as the independent “Sean Ryan for Saranac Lake” and “Integrity for Saranac Lake” party lines, respectively. Paul Van Cott and Aurora White are running a joint ticket on the Democratic and independent “Team Saranac Lake” party lines.

Fred Balzac, a Democrat, did not secure the Democratic line and did not file paperwork to get an independent line on the ballot and is instead running a write-in campaign.

Voters will choose two of these candidates to serve a four-year term. They will serve along with existing members of the village board — Mayor Jimmy Williams, Deputy Mayor Matt Scollin and Trustee Kelly Brunette.

A forum with the candidates on the ballot can be viewed on the Enterprise’s Facebook page in two parts at tinyurl.com/yk38tzk2 and tinyurl.com/4f2cc5jb.

On Election Day, March 19, polls will be open from noon to 9 p.m. in the Harrietstown Town Hall auditorium.

Each election cycle, the Enterprise issues candidates a questionnaire, which they can answer in their own words.

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Paul Van Cott

Age: 65

Occupation: Attorney

Position sought: Saranac Lake Village Trustee

Q: Why are you running for this position?

A: To use my 40-plus years of experience, skills and knowledge in government to help the village board and village staff govern positively and constructively.

Q: What are your qualifications?

A: Village trustee (2012-2019), including serving as chairman of the Village’s Local Development Corporation for much of that period; village attorney (2020-2022); New York state government manager/attorney (1987-2019); and represent municipal boards and private clients (2020-present).

Q: What are your main goals?

A: 1. To help the village board function as a team based on mutual respect and trust, with shared information and responsibilities;

2. To ensure open and constructive village board debate on issues, resulting in well-reasoned and common sense decisions;

3. To facilitate village board communications and compromise where needed;

4. To ensure compliance with all legal requirements and processes;

5. To ensure that the public is fully informed and has an opportunity to participate in village board decision-making; and

6. To ultimately provide an example for all Saranac Lakers, including our children, on how positive, productive government can contribute to the betterment of the village.

Q: What do you think are the three biggest problems in the town, and how do you propose solving them?

A: I don’t see the following important issues as problems. They are opportunities for positively benefiting our community. Making real progress on them is critical to the village’s success. For each of these opportunities, I pledge to use all of my experience, skills and knowledge to help the village succeed in building strong public and private partnerships, obtaining grants and other funding opportunities and making consistent, positive progress, while always listening to Saranac Lakers, making sure they are informed, and being transparent about village board decision-making.

1. For village infrastructure, I pledge to advocate for (1) the completion of improved emergency services facilities by the end of my term; and (2) the re-build of at least one road (including new water/sewer lines) per year. For emergency services, my own preference is for a police presence downtown and for other facilities to be located where it makes the most sense, at an affordable cost that meets the needs those services, but I will work with the other members of the village board, with public input, to find common ground. For roads/water/sewer, we need to consistently keep up with this aging infrastructure or we will continue to fall further behind (this includes our water and sewer facilities).

2. For the housing crisis, I pledge to advocate and work for: (1) Making housing affordable for first-time homebuyers; (2) Providing incentives for existing homeowners to make substantial improvements to their homes (including accessory apartments); (3) Providing incentives for developers to restore existing housing stock and to develop new affordable housing projects; (4) Providing more affordable rental and owned housing stock; and (5) Providing incentives for existing landlords to improve and make safe their apartments without increasing rent. All village-owned lands should be reviewed for their suitability and feasibility to support affordable housing projects, including the recently acquired property on Petrova Avenue. Over the past few weeks, an Adirondack lobby day occurred in Albany with our state government leaders and a summit on North Country housing was hosted by local leaders and our legislators. I believe the Village needs to be at the table for these types of opportunities to talk about our housing priorities and initiatives.

3. For downtown and our businesses throughout the village, which was our focus in the 2010s, I pledge to continue to advocate and work for community development that will consistently fill the rooms of our existing commercial tourist accommodations, including the Hotel Saranac, fill empty storefronts, improve existing commercial buildings and attract new businesses.

Overall, building relationships with private and public partners, developing creative proposals that persuasively explain the uniqueness and importance of investing in Saranac Lake, and tirelessly advocating every day on behalf our Village is the track record of experience and commitment that I pledge to bring to my work as trustee. We have great opportunities before us but need the right team for the job.

Q: Other comments to voters?

A: During this campaign, I have walked every neighborhood (nearly 50 miles according to my phone) and left my card at every door. I have been honored to have the chance to talk to many of you. There has been great progress in our village since I first ran in 2012, but there are challenges and opportunities which remain that I respectfully ask for the chance to help with.

During my time as trustee in the 2010s, our village board made substantial progress including obtaining millions of dollars of private and public grants for downtown and infrastructure, increasing the village’s commercial property tax base by millions of dollars (thereby lessening the burden on other property owners), adding new affordable housing near the Depot, and overall creating substantial village momentum with our public and partners. I pledge to continue that momentum of positive progress based on the value I can provide on the village board.

After retiring from New York state government in 2019 with 30 years of fulfilling public service and leaving the village board at the same time after 7.5 years of that labor of love, I joined a law firm that allows me to work remotely from Saranac Lake. In 2020, I rejoined the village to serve two years as village attorney. I did not expect to ever run again, but I have called Saranac Lake home for my entire life and am a dedicated public servant. Also, my kids grew up here and have returned after college to live and work here. I am 100% committed to this community and its betterment, and over the next four years I pledge to help the Saranac Lake Village Board be a shining and successful example of how government can provide positive leadership and achieve great things for the people who elect us to serve, as a team, on behalf of this place we all love and call home.

Although I am a Democrat, I have also purposefully chosen to run on the Team Saranac Lake line on the village election ballot. Team Saranac Lake reflects my sincere commitment to all Saranac Lakers, and to the other members of the next village board, to work in a non-partisan way as a team focused like a laser on governing well and contributing positively to the betterment of our community and our children’s future.

Thank you for considering my candidacy and for voting on March 19. Let’s have a great turnout to support democracy in this important village election. And let’s work together as a community after this election, regardless of its outcome. If you ever have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at paulvancott@gmail.com.