Town Supervisor Rob Jeroloman at 2023 September 11
Remembrance at Washingtonville's Memorial Park
Blooming Grove - The uncontested top spot of Town Supervisor in Blooming Grove was another win in Supervisor Rob Jeroloman's resume, adding to the list of previous terms as Supervisor, and before that as Mayor of the Village of South Blooming Grove. The vote count, with all Wards and Districts reported was the 4th highest in Orange County for this relatively small town (population 18,811), with a total for Jeroloman of 2,049 on the Republican and Conservative lines.
The other board seats were filled by Ward 1- Cathy Gregg, Ward 2- Frank Malloy, Ward 3- Johanna Kiernan, Ward 4- Simon Schwartz Ward 5- John Stegenga and Ward 6- Steve Amante
Wayne Kirkpatrick pulled an impressive win of 1706 votes (the second highest vote count for a Highway Superintendent in Orange County), over a late write-in challenger, Michael Spear with 595 votes.
Longtime Town Clerk, Darlena Decker will start yet another term with 1,986. Between Darlena and her mom, Barbara Decker they have given decades of service to the Town. Vanessa Lynn also scored high as Receiver of Taxes with 2,023 votes.
During the final 2 weeks of campaigning there was a push to make sure that residents understood a Petition #3 that would have returned council seats to staggered terms, each for 4 years. With attrition of 3 seats this year due to illness and Tom Devinko's transition to Village of Washingtonville Mayor, board members felt that this would ensure that there woud be some consistency and experience and no chance of there being an entire new board every 2 years, one that might have no experience with budgets or regulations. The only reason the longterm practice of 4 year terms was changed was the switch to a Ward system. Some residents were confused and frightened by the text, when they received the following Postcard addressed "Fellow Citizens and Residents of Blooming Grove", especially since it looked remarkably like the environmental group Preserve Blooming Grove notices, and that may have tilted the vote against the petition, while others noted "This Postcard is Postmarked "Monsey". Why would you want someone in Monsey telling you how to run the town." The proposition failed with 1, 105 votes for it and 1,600 against it, despite the fact that a second flyer was circulated by a board member showing that all of the other towns in our area have staggered 4-year terms.
For now, residents are confident in the results which were by clear margins, and say they are happy to have a full board of well known residents who have been active in the community, and longtime officials at the helm.
A funny/not funny aside: Does every vote really count ? You bet it does.., especially if you are in a contest for the position of Town Justice, like in the Town of Palm Tree this year...unofficial result as of now is 267 (Stephen R. Hunter) to -268 Richard J. Croughan (with 15 write-in votes).
(Note: Vote counts are not yet "Official" though all Districts have been reported and included in the tallies.)
There were two judge positions in the Palm Tree election, so both candidates won.