The supervisor candidates are Tim Follos (Democratic and Silent Majority) and Favor J. Smith (Honesty for Wilmington).

The town council candidates are Laura Dreissigacker Hooker (Honesty for Wilmington), incumbent Darin Forbes (Republican and Citizen’s Data Boy), incumbent Michelle Preston (Community First) and Forest “Randy” Winch (People’s).

Also, Devan Korn (Citizen’s Data Boy) and Alphonso Smith (Republican) are running unopposed for two assessor seats.

The Lake Placid News sent questionnaires to candidates running in the contested races. Below is the response for Tim Follos.

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Tim Follos

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Age: 42

Occupation: Attorney

Position sought: Supervisor

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Q: What are your qualifications?

A: – Member of Wilmington Town Council

– Experience in supervisory, managerial and leadership roles

– Law degree (Vermont Law School)

– Attorney

– Bachelor’s degree in government (Georgetown University)

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Q: Why are you running for this position?

A: Because I care about my home town.

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Q: What are the three biggest problems in the town, and how do you propose solving them?

A: 1. Over the past three years, there has been more “development pressure” on Wilmington than at any other time in my four decades in town. I do not believe this pressure will ebb dramatically in the years ahead.

Wilmington is now at a crossroads.

At the Oct. 17 candidate forum, we heard calls to be patient and pursue a years-long process that includes forming committees, hiring outside consultants and updating the town’s “comprehensive plan.”

We can spend a few years and hundreds of thousands of dollars and eventually receive a document that tells us:

– There is currently no unified architectural style on the main commercial corridor and we should work toward that goal;

– We should require smaller signs that use natural colors and materials and create less visual impact;

– We should work to preserve our scenery and vistas; limit commercial development outside of the central “hamlet”; and channel commercial energy toward the center of town;

– We should diversify our economy;

– “There is a shortage of both sale and rental units at prices within the means of lower income families”;

– “During the process of project review, consider the housing needs of year-round residents and promote more rental and sale units at lower prices,” and;

– “Natural resource protection and economic development must be identified as mutually supportive objectives.”

The bullet points above are taken from “The Comprehensive Plan of the Town of Wilmington,” which a firm from Saratoga produced for Wilmington in 1975.

Among my favorite excerpts from that document is this perfect sentence, written in a margin long ago by a human hand: “These are good ideas, but how do we implement them?”

Over the past half century, we’ve had no shortage of committees and consultants. We may have benefited from fewer consultants and more follow through.

Wilmington’s experience with the Dollar General franchise shows we should, in the early months of 2024, adopt amendments to our zoning ordinance, using language that has worked for other towns, in order to:

– Provide our planning board with stronger legal grounds to regulate the exterior appearance and limit the size and visibility of “big box” stores and other large development applications, and;

– Promote the redevelopment of blighted properties around the center of town and the central commercial corridor while slowing the pace of deforestation and commercial development in residential areas of Wilmington.

Our next town board should also move with purpose and focus to add a few sentences (all of which could be taken directly from Wilmington’s previous zoning ordinance) to ensure that:

– “[T]he character, appearance, size, intensity, nature, and site layout” of new development “shall be in general harmony with the character and appearance of the surrounding neighborhood”; and

– “[S]hall not be more objectionable to nearby properties” due to noise, fumes or lights; and

– “[S]hall not adversely affect the general welfare of the inhabitants of the neighborhood or the town.”

In the first months of 2024, we should also form diverse committees of Wilmington residents to review other towns’ codes; our own prior codes and plans; discuss town issues and goals; distribute surveys; and eventually provide recommendations to the town board for additional improvements to our zoning code.

We will soon have the opportunity to elect leaders capable of prompt and effective decisions that will channel “development pressure” in a way that will protect the things we love about Wilmington, and gradually uplift the character of the community.

Or we can vote to merely form more committees; spend a few years moseying about; hire another brigade of consultants; and heed those who preach patience as the noise of bulldozers, backhoes and chain saws echoes around us.

And then, in a few years, we can look around and wonder what happened to our town.

Election Day will be here soon.

We should carefully consider the candidates and the stakes.

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2. The housing crisis remains the most pressing issue in the region. Like everyone else, I support the Homestead Housing program made possible by the incredible generosity of a local family. Like everyone else, I support the land bank program under way at the county level. And I would support investigating the plausibility of both “hamlet expansion” in the immediate vicinity of the ski center and other ideas that could relieve the “housing crunch.”

I also recognize that Wilmington is a town with around 650 census-designated “dwelling units.” Of these “dwelling units,” between 107 and 125 (depending on how you look at it) are now being operated as vacation rentals.

The most significant and helpful step Wilmington’s next town board could take to relieve the housing crisis is to finally move to stem the tide that, over the past five years, has converted hundreds of “Whiteface region” homes into hotels.

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3. Escalating property taxes are a concern for members of our community.

Like everyone else, I agree that it is important to increase town employees’ wages.

But I will lead Wilmington toward fiscal conservatism and greater respect for our taxpayers.

Current projections are for a 4.8% increase in property taxes next year.

But raising taxes in 2023 was not necessary. Nor is going beyond the tax cap next year.

I voted against raising property taxes in 2023 and voted against exceeding the tax cap for 2024.

The money is there. It is a question of priorities.

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Q: Other comments to voters?

A: Due to the newspaper’s space constraints, this article does not include important details about STRs, the housing shortage, taxes and spending, and other topics important to Wilmington residents (school district boundaries, etc.). I have posted additional information about those topics on my campaign’s Facebook page, “Wilmington Forever. Follos For Now.”

If you prefer, I can email you that information — just jot a note to follos.campaign@gmail.com.

In closing, I would be glad to meet with you to hear your thoughts and answer any questions you have. Please email me or write to me at PO Box 346 to set up a time to meet.

I hope to earn your support, and I look forward to being part of a team with a clear and achievable vision for Wilmington’s future: patient growth, increasing prosperity, careful spending and respect for public opinion.