GOP Civil War Brewing in Fishkill
By Michael Boyajian
It may not match the GOP battles between Rudy Giuliani and George Pataki where the two goliaths battled for top billing in the Empire State for years letting nothing get in their way including 9-11 but with all the troubles in Fishkill of late this battle between the Town Supervisor and the Village Mayor could have repercussions across the state with a new GOP guard’s ascent to power.
The Town of Fishkill Supervisor, Joan Pagones, recently sent out a letter to town water users apologizing for a rate increase but attributing it to a rate increase passed on to them from the town’s supplier of water the Village of Fishkill. The letter was a way of denying that taxes had been raised a big no no in teabag country.
The Village quickly responded with a letter of their own under the signature of the mayor of the village, Jim Miccio, and the entire board of trustees saying there has been one rate increase in 30 years and that was in 2006 and that there had actually been a rate decrease at one point.
The battle here is between 19 year incumbent Pagones who many feel has been in office for far too long and a rising star in the party Miccio who is also the local county legislator. The division could split the local party in next year’s town elections allowing Democrats to walk into victory if Pagones is seriously wounded in a primary between herself and Miccio. A fact that is especially true considering that Democratic registration is almost even with Republicans.
The town has been facing many controversies lately that have angered voters including plans to build three feet above the area’s pure water supply, a battle with preservationists seeking to save the largest Revolutionary War burial site in the country, a pending state audit, a $6.5 million deficit, and a downgrading by Moody’s to just above junk bond status.
All in all its becoming more clear by the day that the only way Republicans can retain power is by having Pagones step down allowing a new GOP guard to rise to power but will that be enough to stop the rising tide of Democrats in this Hudson Valley hamlet?