MECHANICVILLE – The city’s GOP this week determined their slate for the fall elections.
The candidates include: Daniel Mark Pickett for mayor, Michelle
Duell for the Commissioner of Finance, Kevin Roberts for the Commissioner of Public Safety, and Michael Coleman for the Commissioner of Public Works.
The Republican Party also endorsed incumbents Judge Joseph Sheehan for city judge and District Attorney Jim Murphy for re-election.
Pickett, whose family has a long history in the city, said being mayor is a job that he has wanted his whole life.
"It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid," said the Adirondack Community College graduate who went on to work at various radio stations in the Capital District. Most recently, he’s a 27-year veteran of Momentive Performance Materials, formerly General Electric, in Waterford. He has two children and a long-term girlfriend.
Pickett does not consider himself a politician. "I hope I am hired by the residents, not elected. And, if I don’t do a good job, they can always fire me, but I hope it does not come to that," he said.
"We need to come together more as a community and I think we can inspire people to do good things," Pickett added.
The only candidate who did not get a unanimous vote from the city’s 12-member GOP committee was Coleman since there was confusion about whether he resided in the city limits. A business owner and vocal opponent to the current city administration, Coleman said he owned property in Mechanicville and he is a fre¬quent attendant at the city public meetings.
With a 10-2 vote from the committee, Coleman said he is a pro¬ponent of open government and has constantly accused the city council of having illegal executive sessions where the public are not allowed to view or participate in the officials’ discussions.
"That is my biggest pet peeve," he said.
Duelle, who is finishing a bachelor’s degree in finances from the University of Phoenix online, has worked at the Mechanicville
District Public Library for a decade.
"I’m very dedicated to the city and care about our citi¬zens. I want to use my knowledge in finances to help the city," she said.
Roberts, originally of Green Island, is a Hudson Valley Community College graduate. He is a flight paramedic for Lifenet of New York. He is married with two children.
"I want to be involved. We need an emergency plan for disasters since we do not have one. I would love to help with that," he said.
Each of the positions has a four-year term.
--Danielle Sanzone