By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – The Amherst Town Board will have a new look in January. Three new board members were elected Tuesday -- two Republicans and one Democrat.
Two incumbents did not seek re-election. And the third, Bill Kindel, lost his re-election bid on a minor party line. New to the board are Republicans Barry Weinstein and Guy Marlette and Democrat Mark Manna.
Weinstein decided to run for the Town Board after spending the last several years as a county legislator. He says he was frustrated by his lack of power as one of just three Republicans in the Legislature. Weinstein told supporters last night that he believes he can make more of a difference on the Town Board.
Two years ago, Guy Marlette fell just short in his first campaign for a Town Board seat. In that election, Satish Mohan won the town supervisor's race as an outsider. Since then, Mohan has had a difficult time working with his fellow board members. Tuesday night, Marlette said he hopes to end the dysfunction.
Democrat Mark Manna ended up in third place Tuesday night, claiming the final seat on the board. The Republican majority is now reduced to four to three. But Manna, who changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat, says he thinks he can work well with the majority.
Amherst voters rejected three propositions, including one that would have authorized the borrowing of $12 million to preserve green space in the town.
And in a tightly contest race for town highway superintendent, Republican Bob Anderson, the incumbent, defeated his Democratic challenger Kathy Kaminski.