Time for new leadership: Support for Hopper and Wieland

Dear Editor,

As a relative newcomer to Mahopac – a hamlet with a storied past – I have watched as year-in and year-out the same folks have been elected to the Carmel Town Board, while at the same time many important projects continually stall. We all know what happens when important decisions are delayed; we often wind up paying more than if they had been addressed in a timelier manner.

I believe a change of the guard is in order, and to ensure that better due-diligence, negotiation and decision-making become part of our Town Board, I’m voting for Jean Hopper for Town Board Supervisor.

Jean is a long-time Carmelite with professional managerial experience who has raised her family here and become deeply involved in her community. She is exceedingly familiar with Carmel’s issues and has been following the board’s work for years.

Jean is a leader who will bring knowledge, experience, know-how and integrity to the role of Town Board Supervisor. We are way past due for the change that will finally break the perennial paralysis that has afflicted the current board for far too long, costing Carmelites way too much money and delivering way too little results.

Additionally, there is a breath of fresh air in Carmel with Brett Wieland. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with Brett a few times about why he is running for the Carmel Town Board and I liked his answers. Brett said that he has been hearing from the community about projects that never seem to get done, and the feeling that taxpayers’ dollars aren’t being spent wisely, and he believes he can help with that.

Brett wants the best for his family, and with the heart of a true public servant he also wants the best for ours as well. He believes first and foremost in focusing on his fellow Carmelites and making decisions that benefit them.

Moreover, Brett has the receipts to prove he can contribute such competence and integrity to the Town Board. He’s a skilled project manager who is currently working at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority managing a $50 million budget for programs that save New York State residents money on their energy bills, and he has a master's in public administration. Brett knows how to analyze, perform due diligence, negotiate and cut through red tape to complete projects successfully. And he wants to bring that experience and expertise to the Carmel Town Board. In my view Brett Wieland is the real deal, and he has my vote. 

-Jeanne Nelson, Mahopac