SARANAC LAKE — Two candidates joined the contested race for the two open village board seats at the Republican caucus on Tuesday — realtor Katie Stiles and hotel sales director Joshua King.

Both candidates are registered independents.

King sought the Democratic party line at that party’s caucus last week, but retired project manager David Trudeau and town Councilman Jeremy Evans gathered more votes there to represent the Democratic line.

To read more about the Democratic caucus and King’s candidacy, go to tinyurl.com/36dr5sv4. To read more about Trudeau’s candidacy, go to tinyurl.com/2dfnsfmn. To read more about Evans’ candidacy, go to tinyurl.com/465y3a55.

King was not present at the GOP caucus, but was nominated by voters. There was no vote needed because he and Stiles were the sole nominees.

Stiles and King both said they also plan to run on independent party lines.

Incumbent Trustee Matt Scollin, who had voiced his intent to run and seek the Democratic line, was not at either caucus and is currently deciding his future in the race.

Scollin said he will decide if he is running by Feb. 10, the deadline for independent candidates to file.

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Stiles

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Stiles’ letter said she would bring professionalism and collaboration to the board.

“We continue to see a disconnect among our current village board during a pivotal time for Saranac Lake,” she wrote.

She said the village’s emergency services facilities are outdated and inadequate, its infrastructure needs modernization, affordable housing remains a challenge and the downtown needs more businesses.

Stiles said she is “deeply qualified” for the village board. Having served on several local volunteer committees and boards, she said, has given her “an important understanding of what it takes for our village to operate and to thrive.”

She’s a member of the village Development Board and has been working on implementing the short-term vacation rental law the village passed in 2023.

She’s on the village housing task force and said they’ve been finding properties to potentially establish an affordable housing community like Fawn Valley in Lake Placid or Meadow Trail in Keene.

She said the potential of building houses at the village-owned sand pit is “terrific” and that the development board is also looking at code amendments to allow for more housing density in certain neighborhoods.

She’s on the village Downtown Advisory Board and said they’ve been working on increasing foot traffic and attracting businesses.

Personally, she said she’s working on “resurrecting” the Loomis Block building.

She said businesses gravitate to and survive in a busy downtown. She said events like the Harvest Fest, the Cruisin’ Car Show, Holiday Hop & Shop or Chili Cookoff have been successful at increasing foot traffic on the sidewalks. These events need to continue and need proper marketing, she said.

She also said the village Community Development Office has been “great” at providing guidance to new business owners.

“My time on different boards and committees demonstrates that I am a team player who works with others to accomplish goals to come up with creative ideas that produce a good outcome,” Stiles wrote to the Enterprise. “I look forward to bringing my experience and skill sets to help alleviate the dysfunction that currently exists.

“It seems to me that some board members are unwilling to work collaboratively with other members,” she added. “This is not productive or healthy. I believe that I can bring a professional, courteous and collaborative energy to the board that will increase productivity and prevent emotions and personal feelings from impacting what is best for the village.”

A lot of the conflict has sprung up around the debate over the public safety building proposed at 33 Petrova Ave.

Stiles believes 33 Petrova is a good location to relocate the essential services.

The current fire station is located at a congested intersection of downtown and its infrastructure is failing, she said. She added that the rescue squad is also in an insufficient station.

“Currently, the police department is in what may be a temporary home that belongs to the state, which they could lose at any moment,” Stiles wrote.

She said the fire and rescue departments share many things, including drivers.

“Combining these services in one facility makes practical sense,” she wrote.

She said she wants to talk more with the public safety building committee, so the board and public can “more fully understand what is needed and what is actually feasible.”

“Most importantly, I want to see more productive collaboration between village board members on how we as a village will be able to afford this project, so we can make our best efforts to secure the necessary funding to make it a reality instead of using it as a hot topic to debate and sow further dysfunction,” Stiles wrote.

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Election information

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Voting in the election will be held on March 18 in the Harrietstown Town Hall auditorium at 39 Main St. from noon to 9 p.m.

Independent candidates have been able to circulate petitions for two weeks now. These petitions need 100 signatures and must be filed with the village clerk from Feb. 3 and 10 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Voters can support up to two candidates for trustee and only one for mayor. Each candidate should either be supported at a caucus or by signing an independent petition. Voters cannot do both for the same candidate.

Voters signing petitions for independent candidates may also only sign one petition per candidate per seat.

If they attend a caucus and vote for two trustee candidates, they cannot sign any trustee petitions. If they only vote for one trustee candidate at a caucus, then they can sign one trustee petition.

If they vote for a mayoral candidate at a caucus and then sign a petition, or if they sign two mayoral petitions, it will be invalidated. If they sign three petitions for trustee candidates, it will be invalidated.

The last day to register to vote is March 6. Registering to vote can be done at the Department of Motor Vehicles, online at tinyurl.com/bdfaj9ze or by printing a form found at tinyurl.com/5yxvhtdh, filling it out and mailing it to the county board of elections office.

More information for the Franklin County Board of Elections can be found at tinyurl.com/bdbzacv2. More information for the Essex County Board of Elections can be found at essexcountyny.gov/board-of-elections.

The last day to apply for an absentee ballot is March 10. The last day for the village clerk to mail out an absentee ballot is March 11.