Tim would be an amazing mayor. We have no shortage of admirable, civic-minded candidates for the New Paltz village elections this year. As a village resident, I offer big thanks to all who step up and are willing to take on the responsibility and challenges of local government oversight.

That said, one mayoral candidate stands out for me as a clear choice: Tim Rogers. I’ve witnessed Tim at many board of education meetings over the past two years. He’s impressed me with his incisiveness and ability to reach informed, reasoned decisions and communicate his thinking. He does this, I’ve noticed, by poring over page after page of spreadsheets, numbers, and what seems like minutiae (but isn’t), and then weighing the input and opinions of other board members. Tim is a numbers guy, but he’s more than that. His ability to see the big picture, after sweating the small stuff, is nothing short of amazing.

Tim is also a great listener. In the process of putting the capital project bond up for a vote, Tim spent hours of his own time sitting down with opponents over coffee to hear them out. I think it’s important to have leaders who are willing to hear other points of view with an open mind, without letting their personal convictions get in the way. Tim does this.

In short, when faced with formidable challenges including water safety, infrastructure issues, taxes, and pedestrian safety, Tim’s got a plethora of skills we sorely need. For these reasons, I’m voting for Tim on Tuesday, May 5th, and encourage you to do the same.

Karen Edelman
Village of New Paltz