To the editor:

At a July rally in Plattsburgh, United States House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez encouraged Democrats to run for office at every level of government, even for positions like dog catcher.

While Harrietstown won’t elect a dog catcher this November, Democrats have the opportunity to elect three strong candidates for the town council. I encourage my neighbors to vote for Jordanna Mallach, Doug Haney and Tracey Schrader on Nov. 4.

There are plenty of accolades one could give supervisor Mallach for her years of public service, and I’m sure you’ll read many of them in letters like this in the days leading up to the election.

However, I’d like to highlight something that happened just this month, which exemplifies to me why we need leaders like Mallach in local government. At the town council’s Oct. 16 meeting, a recording of which can be viewed online via the town’s website, Mallach gave an update from the first Emergency Services Facility Committee meeting, town supervisors were invited to attend.

In about 10 minutes, Mallach delivered the most direct update about the status of the emergency services complex project I’ve seen in years, largely covering facts so unexciting that it makes one question why the public hasn’t been afforded this level of transparency from the start.

Transparency on the facts surrounding the biggest issues our community faces is something we desperately need locally. Mallach delivers that, and so much more.

On the issue of the emergency services complex, no voice has been more consistent than Doug Haney’s. And while I very much agree with Haney’s position on the issue, what really won me over as a voter was his speech on caucus night, where he spoke about his experience finding housing in Saranac Lake.

As a millennial who moved here eight years ago and truly set down roots in 2021, I’ve lost count of the number of friends, acquaintances, and coworkers who have left the area due to a lack of housing. We need leaders who will be relentless in the pursuit of making Harrietstown livable for young families.

Tracey Schrader will forever have my gratitude for her willingness to speak out against the opening of a local crisis pregnancy center at a time when other local elected officials told me it was too controversial to take a public position on. At all levels of government, our country needs more leaders with integrity, willing to consistently stand on principle. Much to the benefit of Harrietstown residents for the past four years, Schrader’s integrity has been paired with hard work and a strong commitment to our town.

The election is less than a week away. Make a plan to vote, and when you get to the polls, cast your ballot for Jordanna Mallach, Doug Haney and Tracey Schrader.

David Lynch

Saranac Lake