WILMINGTON – Three Wilmington Republicans will be on the ballot in Tuesday’s primary election for the town of Wilmington highway superintendent. The candidates are the incumbent Louis Adragna, Cameron Grady and Darren Lawrence.

The highway superintendent oversees the maintenance and repair of town roadways and bridges, along with other transportation infrastructure. This involves managing a team of employees, working with contractors and ensuring compliance with regulations. The highway superintendent term lasts four years.

Voting will take place between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. Tuesday. More information about voting can be found at essexcountyny.gov/board-of-elections.

Ahead of the primary election, each candidate was given an opportunity to share a bit about themselves and their priorities.

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Louis Adragna

Current highway supervisor Louis Adragna has been working with the highway department for more than 25 years. He started in 2000 as an equipment operator and moved up the ranks, serving as deputy highway supervisor for 15 years.

He was first appointed highway supervisor by the town six years ago when former highway superintendent Bill Skufca retired, and was subsequently elected for a one year and then a four year term.

Now, Adragna is hoping for one last run before retirement.

In terms of his qualifications for this role, Adragna points to his decades of experience. He has overseen a few technological innovations at the town, which he says have saved the town money in the long run. This includes snow pushers with live edges, which means they can adjust to the contour of the road. This makes snow removal more efficient and reduces wear and tear on the roads and equipment, Adragna said.

He also helped install weather cameras, which can be monitored remotely from a cell phone. Adragna said this has saved on costs as well because his team can monitor them and know exactly when they need to get out on the roads.

If re-elected, Adragna hopes to continue to introduce new technology to reduce costs.

He said the other challenge faced by all highway departments is recruiting and retaining employees.

“We work a lot during the winter,” he said. “We go sometimes a couple months without days off – any of us. So it’s also hard to get people that are willing to do that kind of work”

However, Adragna is grateful for the team that he has, including a number of newer crew members who have been around for a couple of years. Asked what he wants voters to know, he said he likes serving in Wilmington. Outside of work, he has been a volunteer with the fire department since 2000, including 17 years as fire chief.

“I’ve served the community for a long time, and I like doing it in the fire service and the highway department,” he said, “so I’d like their support.”

Anyone with questions or suggestions is welcome to come by the town highway garage and talk, Adragna said.

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Cameron Grady

Cameron Grady worked a few years for the highway department, but has spent 30 years working in the construction industry. He points to his experience in the private business world as an asset that he would like to bring to working with the town.

Working in construction, Grady said he has done every part of the highway superintendent job before, from operating and maintaining heavy equipment, paving and building roads and developing lots.

Grady has lived in Wilmington his whole life, and wants to give back to the community.

“I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, and I believe the community probably deserves a little better than what they’re getting right now,” he said.

Most of the changes Grady has in mind have to do with reducing what he sees as unnecessary spending. He has young adult children and knows that rising taxes and costs are prohibitive when it comes to young people trying to live in the area.

Instead of purchasing more equipment, Grady wants to make the most of what they already have. Having previously run a small business, he has learned how to budget and make things work.

“In the private sector, somebody doesn’t just put money in your account and say, ‘go ahead and spend,'” he said. “You gotta earn it.”

He added that treating your team well is key, because this is what motivates people to work hard. In terms of other suggestions that the community may have, Grady said he is eager to sit down one-on-one with residents to hear their concerns and thoughts.

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Darren Lawrence

Darren Lawrence is also running on the Republican party line in the primary election. His goal in running is to help Wilmington residents get the full value from the taxes they pay for the highway department. He said all roads should be treated the same – regardless of whether they are state, county or town roads.

“Wilmington residents deserve everything they pay for in taxes,” he said.

Other priorities for Lawrence include making sure all plow trucks are being utilized during heavy storms and making sure all school bus turnarounds are safe and clear. Public safety is his biggest priority, he said.