HARRIETSTOWN — A new supervisor was chosen here by a margin of about 10 percent.
Republican Bob Bevilacqua won the seat with 1,105 votes over 819 for Tom Catillaz.
Bevilacqua credited his camp for a solid team effort in a race that steered clear of negative political rhetoric.
“We stayed on message. We didn’t get drawn into any fights or anything on the sidelines. Tom pretty much stayed on his message, too. It was a real good campaign; it was actually kind of fun,” Bevilacqua said Wednesday.
“The team I had behind me was great. We had the same people there from the first night until the election.”
REPLACEMENT NEEDED
Bevilacqua will leave his position on the Harrietstown Town Council to take on the role of supervisor.
Catillaz, a former mayor of Saranac Lake, serves on the Village Board of Trustees.
Bevilacqua was elected to complete one year left on the term held by Larry Miller, who retired last April.
The new supervisor will be sworn in as soon as the vote is certified by the Franklin County Board of Elections.
“The first thing we have to do is find a person to fill my seat on the board until next year’s election,” he said.
That person will be appointed.
The seat will go on next year’s ballot to fill the two years remaining on Bevilacqua’s Town Council term.
“We’ll be continuing on with the work we do,” the supervisor-elect said of taking the helm.
“Next year’s budget has been approved and is under the tax cap.”
Bevilacqua said he is grateful to those who supported his run for office.
“I just want to tell everybody thanks.”
‘WORE OUT SHOES’
Catillaz also thought the race was well run and the turnout this election was robust.
“I campaigned really hard, walked all over town, covered probably 90 percent of it, which is a lot of footwork, wore out my shoes and just came up short,” the trustee said after the election.
“I have faith in Bob Bevilacqua; he is a good man. He pulled me aside after the polls closed and said, ‘We will work together,’ meaning the town and the village.
“There’s been a division between us, and I think that’s going to end,” Catillaz said.
Email Kim Smith Dedam: kdedam@pressrepublican.com
