Dan Hust | Democrat MONTICELLO VILLAGE TRUSTREE Gordon Jenkins, above, has a sizeable lead over incumbent James Barnicle in the Monticello mayor's race.

Changes coming?

By Dan Hust
SULLIVAN COUNTY — March 21, 2008 — Change is afoot in Monticello and Liberty.
Judging by the preliminary, unofficial results of Tuesday’s village elections, Sullivan County’s two largest villages will see some new leadership.
Monticello and Bloomingburg’s winners may shift around by next Tuesday, however, when the county Board of Elections is scheduled to open absentee ballots.
Thus, only definitive winners are marked in bold in the following list.
Bloomingburg
Incumbent Mayor Everett Saunders, running on the A New Beginning line, is trailing write-in candidate Mark Berentsen, 43-45.
Since there are three absentee ballots left to count, the outcome is uncertain – but will be quite close for the two-year seat.
Incumbent Trustee Margaret “Peggy” Wood was unopposed in her A New Beginning re-election bid, earning back her two-year seat with 60 votes.
Jeffersonville
Incumbent Trustee William Thony and former Mayor Susan Hemmer both garnered 17 votes for the two trustee seats. Each will serve two years.
Liberty
With only six absentee ballots remaining, the winners of the two two-year trustee positions are clear: Republicans and Common Sense candidates Richard Winters (132 votes) and David Simon (120).
At 97 votes apiece, Democrats Anita Parkhurst (the only incumbent running for re-election) and David LoCascio will not be able to close the gap.
Monticello
In a closely watched election, Republican/G-Man candidate Gordon Jenkins, currently a village trustee, is edging out incumbent Democratic/Conservative Mayor Jim Barnicle for the four-year seat, 500-442.
But 71 absentee ballots remain to be counted, and so the trustee race is similarly unsettled, with four candidates vying for two four-year positions.
While it appears incumbent Republican Trustee Brian VanDermark’s 299 votes mean his term of office is over, Democrat/Conservative Alvin Dumas’ 383 votes keep him within striking distance of the top vote-getters: Republican/G-Man candidate Carmen Rue (408) and incumbent Democrat/Conservative Victor Marinello (445).
Wurtsboro
The lone trustee candidate, incumbent Democrat Barbara Semonite, will serve another two years, thanks to 40 voters.