Meet the candidates for town races

Rockland goes to the polls Tuesday

By Zoey McGee | Manor Ink

Town of Rockland, NY – With the election on Nov. 4, county voters have a chance to cast their ballots not for national candidates, but for those officials who perhaps will have greater influence over their lives than any others – the county’s local council members, judges and law officers. In the Town of Rockland, there are eleven hopefuls running for six positions. In an effort to inform voters, Manor Ink sat down with five of them, all running in contested races, to learn about them as people and about their plans for the town should they be elected. They are running for Town Justice and for Superintendent of Highways.

Town Justice

As the election for Rockland Town Justice approaches, three community members have been deep into the campaigning process. William Roser, Elwin “Woody” Wood and Alexandra Vagnone spoke with the Ink about why they are running and made their case for why they’re the right person to serve the town.

William Roser

William Roser is a retired corrections sergeant with 25 years in law enforcement. He said serving as town justice is a continuation of his lifelong commitment to the community. “It’s something I always wanted to do,” Roser said. Over his career, he worked in both Sullivan and Green Haven Correctional Facilities, gaining training as a hostage negotiator and in narcotics detection, gang work and mental health.

If elected, Roser said he hopes to pursue different grants and try to update the courthouse, the courtroom and its equipment. He’s also deeply tied to the town of Rockland through decades of volunteer service. “One important thing that really does help in becoming a judge is knowing your community. With the 35 years in the fire department, I’ve dealt with people at their worst, I’ve dealt with people at their best, and I think that is a huge help in becoming a judge.”

Alexandra Vagnone

Alexandra Vagnone, currently Court Clerk for the town, said her years behind the bench have prepared her to take the next step. “I’ve developed relationships with everybody from law enforcement to the district attorney’s office to legal aid. And I love what we do. And I think that if I were to get elected, it would be a smooth transition, because there are very many similarities between being a court clerk and a judge.”

Having served as a clerk since 2019, she emphasized the advantage of her hands-on experience. “Most judges never have court clerk experience,” she said. “I already know what’s needed to complete a criminal report and keep things running smoothly.”

Vagnone said her goals include improving efficiency and fairness. “I’m not doing this for a title,” she said. “I believe in the justice system, and I want to help people get through it the right way. If you don’t make a good decision or do something incorrectly, you could have a significant impact on someone’s life. And it’s very important to me that someone is on the bench, whether it’s me or if someone else, that they make sure that everyone is treated with the utmost respect.”

Elwin Wood

Elwin “Woody” Wood, who recently retired from the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office after a career as a deputy, said that experience and availability are key. “Being retired, I have the time to put in for arraignments,” Wood said. He emphasized the importance of having a judge ready when needed for law enforcement. “If a Town of Rockland judge isn’t available, you would have to go to Liberty or Fallsburg. It’s important to move the process along.”

Wood served for years on the Welfare Fraud Task Force and said that background gives him an understanding of the justice process from both sides. If elected, his goal is “to be fair and to make sure I give 100 percent to the position.” He also praised his opponents, noting that the race featured three very good candidates, each with different experiences.

Superintendent of Highways

Roger Decker

Along with the Town Justice race, there are two candidates running for Highway Superintendent. Incumbent Roger Decker and challenger Doug Meyer are both residents with decades of experience maintaining the roads.

Decker, who is finishing his second term, has worked for the town for 28 years and says he’s proud of what’s been accomplished under his leadership. “I’m really enjoying doing the right thing for the town,” he said. Since taking office in 2022, Decker has overseen the paving of 24 miles of road, the sealing of 46 miles, and replacement of over 2,000 feet of pipe. He’s also introduced a guardrail replacement program and upgraded 15 pieces of equipment. “We’ve got a lot of work done, and there’s a lot more to do,” said Decker.

He added that he’s proud to have kept taxes under the state’s two-percent cap while securing over $1.7 million in funding through the CHIPS program.

Doug Meyer

Challenger Doug Meyer also brings experience to the race. He is a lifelong Rockland resident with nine years of hands-on experience in the Highway Department.

He emphasized his aim to improve the town’s current efficiency and has highlighted alternative funding opportunities. “I really think we’ve neglected the whole grant aspect of getting money for the town to further modernize and make us more efficient.”

He would like to secure a grant through the USDA, similar to the one received by the Town of Bethel, which received $9.9 million. Meyer said he plans to step back from micromanagement and let foremen run their crews, focusing instead on office planning, transparency and relationships with the town’s residents, and updating equipment to make the team more efficient and to make the town more beautiful.