Superintendent of Highways in Owego highlighted in upcoming Primary Election

This November, Owego voters will elect a new Superintendent of Highways. There is a heated Republican primary for the position on June 22, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Early voting runs through June 20.

The current Owego Superintendent of Highways, Mark Clark, is retiring and will not seek re-election. Clark outlined what the Superintendent position does, stating, “[They] oversee all the roads in the town that they represent; anywhere from plowing snow in the winter and salting and sanding, to paving and bridge and culvert repair and replacement. Patching of the roads, brush cutting, mowing. There’s a whole gambit of stuff, just figure anything that is on the road that you travel is what we take care of.” 

He said the superintendent’s role in the process means that he oversees the crews, the delegation of the work, and the projects that are let to independent contractors. He oversees a budget of around $7 million. 

“Any contract work that the town does for highway goes through me, and then it goes through the [Owego Town Board] as far as the monetary part of it,” said Clark. 

The Owego Pennysaver was able to ask the candidates some questions about their reasons for running.

Candidate Brian Harders has lived in the town of Owego his entire life, and has worked for the highway department since 1989. 

“For the first two years was part time, I got hired permanent in 1991,” said Harders, adding, “I’ve got hands on experience in every aspect of the highway department. I’ve been a foreman for the last 19 years.”

Candidate Michael Roberts resides in Apalachin, N.Y., and has lived there for approximately 35 years with his wife. 

“I raised my family and have three grown kids now, they’re on their own,” said Roberts, adding, “I owned and operated my own business in Apalachin for 24 years, and I recently retired from that. I’m currently a county legislator, and have been doing that for 15-plus years.”

Jason Weaver is also an Owego resident, and has owned his own business, for 19 years. He resides in Owego with his wife and three kids. 

Weaver stated, “I’ve coached the baseball teams, football teams, wrestling teams for the young kids. I’m the Captain of the Owego Fire Department. I’ve worked in management areas since I was about 28 years old and I’m 48 now.” 

As to why they are running, Harders stated, “Just to keep going and improve the highway. I’ve got all the experience necessary to do this job.”

Roberts responded, stating, “There’s a need there for some change. I think I could take that job into a new direction and give the residents better service for their taxpayer money.”

Jason Weaver said the main reason he is running is to be part of the solution, not the problem. 

He added, “In my eyes the town of Owego highway is totally mismanaged and the workers aren’t taken care of. The constituents, the taxpayers, they’re not being thought of. They’re not getting phone calls back with their concerns.”

Harders feels he is best qualified, stating, “I’m the one that has the experience. I’ve got experience in every aspect of this including budgets, FEMA, everything.”

Roberts stated, “[With] all of my years of experience on the county legislature, I have extensive budget experience, and personnel experience. I was chairman of the public works committee for 16-plus years. I also am a deputy chair of the BMTS, which is a transportation committee that meets in Binghamton that decides all local road usage issues and improvements.”

Weaver stated, “I believe what makes me the best candidate is that I’ve got years and years of management experience, with 20-plus guys, with five guys, with three guys. I’ve learned how to make a dollar go farther, just to be able to work through stuff. I’ve got FEMA experience, when we went through the flood in 2011. On the personal side, myself, plus on the fire department side with helping people, I want transparency between the taxpayer the town board. I just want to see stuff get done, and done efficiently.”

If elected, Harders stated he would just like to make things run as smoothly as possible, work with the town board to try to get some things done that they get calls on and such, and continue moving forward for the residents.

Roberts wants to see better accountability. 

He stated, “I’m going to be responsive to the taxpayers. I will return phone calls within a 24-hour period, as long as it’s within working hours.” 

Weaver stated that he would make sure the employees have the tools needed to do their job properly.

He added, “I would like to [bring some] camaraderie back over there, which there is none now. I would like to accomplish some transparency.”

Paul Conti, an Owego resident, is also on the ballot. And although Conti was not available to answer some of the questions rendered, he remains on the ballot for the primary in June, according to Bernadette Toombs, Republican commissioner for the Tioga County Board of Elections.

Toombs stated, “Per Election Law, following a candidate carrying a petition, the last day to accept or decline designations was March 29 of this year.”

Toombs also noted that this is a Republican Primary only for registered voters in the towns of Barton, Berkshire, Newark Valley and Owego. All other towns have no contested Primary.  

Any eligible registered voter residing in Tioga County may vote at the Tioga County’s Early Voting Center, located at 1062 State Route 38 in Owego, during designated voting times. If you cast a ballot during Early Voting, you will not be allowed to vote on Election Day. The last day for Early Voting, however, is Sunday, June 20, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Running on the Republican Primary Election ballot are Michael Myers and Keith McFall, for one Justice Seat in Barton; Brandon Stanton, Kevin Everly and Michael Rice, running for two councilman seats, also in Barton.

In Berkshire, Fraser Williams and Audrey Fields are running for a  councilman seat and William Spoonhower, George Hoffmier, Jr., and Cole Liddington are on the ballot for Superintendent of Highways.

In Newark Valley, Zebulun Patterson, Lucy Johnson, and Joseph Tomazin, Jr. are running to fill two councilman seats and Stephen Tennant and Gary Stevens will be on the ballot for Superintendent of Highways.

And of course there is the Highway Superintendent Race in Owego, with Paul Conti, Brian Harders, Michael Roberts, and Jason Weaver on the ballot.

Polling locations for Barton include the Waverly Village Hall in Waverly, the Lockwood Fire Department, and the Barton Town Hall. 

In Berkshire, voting will take place at the Berkshire Town Hall on Railroad Avenue.

In Newark Valley, polling will take place at the Fire Department on Route 38.

In Owego, polls will be open at the Campville Fire Station, Living Water Baptist Church on Taylor Road, the United Methodist Church on Main Street, the Owego Highway Building in Apalachin, the Apalachin United Methodist Church on Pennsylvania Avenue in Apalachin, and at the Park Terrace United Methodist Church, located on Glann Road in Apalachin.

For additional information, contact the Tioga County Board of Elections at (607) 687-8261, or by email to VoteTioga@tiogacountyny.gov.