Local elections reflect national divisions in Copenhagen

Mar. 7—COPENHAGEN — Three incumbents. Three challengers. The equivalent of two micro-parties fighting for control of a municipal government with perspectives, division and infighting that mirrors the nation as a whole, except this political battle is in a village of about 800 people.

While each candidate on Copenhagen's March 16 ballot is technically running independently for office, long standing division in the village Board of Trustees has manifested in the incumbent mayor and two trustees being billed on social media as "The Home Team." It appears to imply the challengers — all long-term village residents or natives — are outsiders. But mayoral candidate Mark A. Souva has said they are the "team with vision."

Each "team" has one of the two trustees on the board who are not up for re-election this year in their corner.

Trustee Ben Shambo, who gave "The Home Team" its name on the unofficial village Facebook page he started two years ago, posted video monologues in support of "keeping things the way they are," claiming new board members would bring about "radical change" and that he is "swinging for the fences" in support of the incumbents to "avoid potential dictatorship" in the comments section of one video and disparaging Mr. Suva in another.

Mr. Shambo and the three incumbents usually agree on decisions and issues dealt with by the board.

Trustee Kim Vogt is the inspiration to run for office for two of the challenging candidates — and married to one — on the "team with vision."

Mrs. Vogt has often called out Mayor Kenneth R. Clarke in meetings for inaccuracies in the information he provides and for not following the proper procedures for things like the bidding process for equipment, hiring engineers and a lack of transparency. She has also accused him of marginalizing her in meetings by talking over her when she is making a point or challenges him and otherwise silencing her.

Copenhagen board meetings are usually well-attended affairs, albeit diminished since COVID-19, and the open forum period is often rife with challenges to the board's decisions in general and to the mayor more specifically by a core group of attendees including the two challengers for trustee positions.

The most divisive issues in the village include the handling of water supply challenges the village has been facing for years, multiple topics related to the fire department and increasingly, the possibility of sharing services with other municipalities.

There is, despite the rumors and conjecture iconic to small-town life, common ground between the six candidates: none wish to close the fire department and all of those running who were available for interview said they do not want the fire department's "drill team" to be resuscitated; a deep love of life in the village; and a begrudging willingness to work with whomever comes out in front after votes are counted, even if they are from the other "team."

The candidates

Kenneth R. Clarke, incumbent mayor

Experience: Re-elected to the post in 2019; mayor from 2008 to 2015; trustee from 2002 to 2008

Employment: Retired last year after 32 years as a corrections officer

Strength: "I talk to people and I make things happen."

Weakness: "I need to attend more meetings that can benefit the village."

Spending philosophy: "I am big on saving money. I hate spending money, too."

Shared services: "It's all fine when it gets started but it very seldom works out ... I'm in favor of the village of Copenhagen taking care of the village of Copenhagen." He is especially against sharing snow removal services with the town of Denmark as he believes it would cost too much money without any control over price changes down the line.

Accomplishments: Getting the village's defunct water supply at Woodbattle Road set up as a secondary supply during a period of drought in the summer when water levels in the tank that serves the village became dangerously low at a cost of about $70,000. Mr. Clarke said available grant money was used to defray the cost. He claims the alternative, trucking the water, would have cost about $30,000 and would not have filled the need for a secondary water supply, as required by the state Department of Health.

He is also proud of successfully negotiating with the owners of the Copenhagen Wind Farm for $16,000 to re-pave roads that were damaged by the company's trucks.

Water supply issue: The next move in dealing with the water supply crisis, from Mr. Clarke's point of view, is to work with the DOH and engineers to improve on the quality of the water coming out of Woodbattle Road, which he expects to cost about $800,000, and finding grant funding to cover costs. Residents claim the water has a bad smell and taste.

Future projects: Custom, lighted welcome signs on either end of the village; a gazebo with a grill and memorial pavers by the Deer River; fixing drainage problems along Maple Avenue

Final thought: Mr. Clarke believes he has the village heading in the right direction.

"This village needs to keep the ball rolling," he said, "We're moving forward. We're improving. We're fine."

Mark A. Souva, mayoral challenger

Bio: Born in Watertown; Copenhagen High School Class of 1987 graduate; associate's degree in math science from Jefferson Community College; returned to the village in 2005 with wife, Katrina, and two children

Experience: Trustee from 2015 to 2019

Employment: Eighteen years working on call center phone systems, currently on Fort Drum; volunteer EMT of 10 years for Lewis County Search and Rescue; volunteer firefighter with interior fire fighting certification

Strength: Analytical skills; looking at the big picture; and "making sure we do things the right way for the entire village"

Weakness: Not spending money, because "I don't like to do it frivolously," and helping and volunteering "too much."

Spending philosophy: "I'm not willy-nilly to spend money. I like to look at things and make sure it's going to make good sense and be lasting for the village so in the long run, we benefit."

Why run for mayor: "It's time to step up," he said because he is worried about the direction the current board is taking, especially with regard to using the Woodbattle Road facility as a secondary water supply.

Water supply issue: He believes the solution is to build a water line from West Carthage to the village to use as both the primary and secondary source of water.

"It's better quality water and it's a better source. I think they have a larger source and it wouldn't be as susceptible to drought we've experienced here," he said,

Acknowledging the initial expense to put in the line may be high, he said he believes it would be offset by the costs of running two water plants, as is currently required.

Shared services: They will save taxpayers money and ensure reliable services.

"With the state deficit ... the grants and things won't be out there like before. We're not going to get as much help from the state so I think we're going to have to rely on our neighbors, like the town of Denmark, more."

On dissolution: As trustee, Mr. Souva said he started a petition for dissolution of the village to combine services with the town, but in speaking to residents he "was hitting a wall that was pretty solid in that people did not want to dissolve the village," making him realize it's not an option for Copenhagen. As mayor, he said he has no intention of starting a process to dissolve the village.

Future projects: Fix the drainage on the streets that need it; farmers' market in the gazebo; recreation like a skating rink and a walking trail; maybe organize an ambulance to be based in the village; "encourage new businesses to fill Main Street store fronts"

Final thought: "The whole unity thing that our country is facing? We start small. We need to bring our community together," Mr. Souva said. "We've got to start working together for the betterment of the village and staying very professional while we do it. We're here to serve the public, our fellow residents."

Gerald Snyder, incumbent trustee

Experience: Trustee since 2006

Strengths: "Probably my age," Mr. Snyder said. "I have a lot of knowledge through the years. I've done a lot of things, been a lot of places ... I feel comfortable talking to people and I think they can feel comfortable talking to me."

Weaknesses: "I get awful upset when I can't accomplish what I want to accomplish."

Accomplishments: "Overall, everything. We've done a lot of street work. We got the water project back on track on the Woodbattle Road. Basically, everything we've been doing is good."

Water situation: Woodbattle Road has solved the problem and got the village through the drought. He hopes it may be possible to lower water rates. With regard to the bad smell and taste of the water, he said, "It's not perfect water, no," noting he uses it for bathing, dishes and laundry but not for drinking.

Shared services: "Shared services is great when it works. If you can work together and do it, I'm all in favor of it, but I don't want to depend on it."

Final thought: "I enjoy it, I really do. I enjoy participating. I live in the village, I've lived here all my life and I love being on the board and I love doing things for the village and I love doing things for people period. It makes me feel good."

Gary Parker, incumbent trustee

Mr. Parker did not respond to a request for an interview, but in a video posted on the village Facebook page, Mr. Parker said he has lived in the village for 70 years, raised his four children in Copenhagen and believes "village people are all good" and that the "board we have now" has done a good job.

"I've served under five mayors and I would like to keep the village run by village people that's going to keep things stable and run things smoothly," he said in the video. "Maybe you know it, but I'm a man of few words but when I do have something to say, I usually think it over before I have anything to say. I don't like to talk just to hear my self talk."

Shareef Stokely, trustee challenger

Experience: "The way I see it, if you can run your family, you can run for public office and I did it the same way in the military. I looked at the military as my family."

Employment: 20-year Army veteran, and currently a health technician at Guthrie Clinic, Fort Drum

Bio: Has lived in the village with his wife, a Copenhagen native, and four children for 12 years

Why run for office: "When I went to meetings and I saw how the current leadership is wasting a lot of money and doing hasty things, I thought this is the perfect job where I can help serve the village."

Strength: Accountability, Mr. Stokely said, adding, "I don't want to waste the taxpayer's dollars."

Weakness: "Sometimes I speak without thinking."

Shared services: "Yes, because that's how you save money."

Water issue: "Why would the village pay $16,000 for one report, pay for it, get the recommendations that said yes, Woodbattle would be cheaper but in the long run, the hook-up to Carthage (is the best choice.) I like to think of the long run and that's what the specialist told us so that's what I'm going to go for. So why turn around and pay another $25,000 for another report that gives the same choices? ... It's not the best choice in the long run."

Final thought: "It's all about others. If it's all you focus on is taking care of the people, everything else falls into place."

Ron Vogt, trustee challenger

Experience: Has never held public office but attends most village meetings

Bio: Born and raised in Copenhagen; wife is Trustee Kim Vogt and has three children

Employment: Facility manager for Dawson Technical in Fort Drum, Canton and Plattsburgh

Why run for office: "First, nobody should ever run unopposed and second of all, you just see some of these things that go on at these meetings. I don't want people to think, 'He's always going to do what his wife wants him to do,' because that's not the case, but you see so many things that she brings up and they chose to ignore it or (tell her), 'You do it on your own and we don't care.'

"Maybe we can go through with the some of the stuff she's started and make the village a little bit nicer and better place to live."

Strength: Experience as facility manager

Weakness: "It will be on-the-job training. I don't think as fast on my feet as my wife does."

Water issues: "(The current board has) got all that data there, but they refuse to read the facts that the hydro-geologist said about our plant down there on Stoddard Road. That's our big issue." Fixing the water quality at the Woodbattle Road wells is a "band-aid approach," Mr. Vogt said.

"We keep putting good money after bad with the water. We need a permanent solution and we need accountability."

He supports linking with West Carthage's water system as a primary source.

Shared services: "I feel that's the way you have to do it today because you're not going to survive as a village or a town if you don't do some of that because some of this equipment is just so expensive and you don't use it every day."

Final thought: "You have a board down there right now that I don't think really looks at the future ... basically you've got three trustees that whatever (the mayor) says, they just nod their heads, 'Yep.' No discussion. No nothing. I want to be able to work with everybody on a fair basis."