To the editor:

I appreciate that the Adirondack Daily Enterprise hosted a Meet the Candidates forum for the two open seats on the Saranac Lake Village Board of Trustees at the Harrietstown Town Hall on March 5, 2024 and also live-streamed the event for maximum accessibility.

I also appreciate how every candidate demonstrated their commitment to our village. We are so lucky to have four people so willing to give their time and effort. More proof of how wonderful Saranac Lake is!

My top candidate choices for the two open village trustee seats are Aurora White and Paul Van Cott. Both Aurora and Paul have years of prior experience as elected officials serving on public boards, and both have demonstrated that they actively listen to and effectively implement solutions to constituent concerns.

Aurora brings powerful budgetary insight as an accountant and former school board member who, impressively, likes to go over budgets with a fine tooth comb. She understands and has worked to alleviate the socioeconomic challenges of children and families in our community. In all my interactions with her, she gives a feeling of steady-headedness, fairness, professionalism and safety, which increases the confidence of people she works with to aim for success. She is a natural leader in all the best ways: She is a leader who helps others to achieve success without any need for her own recognition. She is amazing.

Paul brings a massive personal encyclopedia of state and local legal knowledge. He exudes enthusiasm for public service, for building community, and he clearly communicates his desire to see things done above-board and with every voice involved. He goes the extra mile — quite literally if you count how much he’s been campaigning door-to-door — to make sure he gets to know and befriend our entire community.

Both Paul and Aurora are leaders with a record of fairness and inclusivity which will benefit our sometimes divided village. We are an amazing village — unique in the nation, in my opinion — and I know that Aurora and Paul will be trustees who will work every day to serve the community so that we can thrive together.

Sunita Halasz

Saranac Lake