FURIOUS LOBBYING

FOR CHAIRMANSHIP

Some Say Rep. Powers Shifts To Clark;

Others, Outcome Still Too Close To Call

By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

COOPERSTOWN – Furious lobbying is underway this evening as support for the next chair of the Otsego County Board of Representatives sea-saws between incumbent Kathy Clark, R-Otego, and Len Carson, R-Oneonta.

Word was circulating that county Rep. Jim Powers, R-Butternuts, who mounted an unsuccessful challenge to Clark last year, had just this evening agreed to support her this time around, and that might be sufficient to shift the balance.  However, others said the outcome is still too close to call.

Yesterday, Powers said Clark had not asked him for his support and he thus leaned toward Carson.   However, when he was asked a few minutes ago if he’d changed his mind, he replied, “No comment,” adding:  “We’ll go to caucus tomorrow and see what comes out of that.”

Other Republicans also said there would be a Republican caucus in the back corner of the Doubleday Café in Cooperstown in advance of the board’s 10 a.m. reorganizational meeting.  County chair Vince Casale has attended those, and might be inclined to strive to impose GOP unity tomorrow.

This morning, Clark addressed the Otsego Chamber’s State of the State Breakfast at SUNY Oneonta, and outlined her support for “public-private partnerships” on MOSA and Otsego Manor.  She acknowledged problems have occurred under Focus’ ownership of The Manor, but said similar unspecified problems occurred under county management.

She was flanked at the breakfast by county Reps. Meg Kennedy, R-Hartwick, and Craig Gelbsman, R-Oneonta.  And yesterday, the board’s vice chair, Ed Frazier, R-Unadilla, said his contracting firm is too busy for him to take on the chairmanship, and that he supports Clark.

Two insiders – given a chair’s ability to assign committee chairmanships and other perks, only Powers spoke for attribution – also expressed the belief that Powers’ shift would also move county Rep. Keith McCarty, R-East Springfield, into Clark’s camp.

Another rep said that some county reps are drawn to Carson by his fresh ideas and energy, and put off by Clark’s “personal style.”  However, the individual acknowledged that the chair works hard and has some accomplishments to her credit.

Others have said that Clark’s attempts to interfere in job-creation efforts of Otsego Now have lost her support among the newcomers.

A half-dozen reps reached this evening said they had made or received calls from fellow reps over the course of the evening.

Republicans with some tenure appeared to be leaning toward Clark, who retired as director of SUNY Oneonta’s food services.   Other than Kennedy, though, the Group of Seven first elected last year appeared leaning toward Carson, a recently retired EMT lieutenant in the Oneonta Fire Department who operates D&C Marketing in the city.

In addition to Carson and Kennedy, the newcomers include Republicans Peter Oberacker, Maryland, David Bliss, Cooperstown/Town of Middlefield, and Dan Wilber, Garrattsville, and Democrats Andrew Stammel, Town of Oneonta, and Andrew Marietta, Cooperstown/Town of Otsego.