As part of our coverage of the upcoming election, The Daily Star sent interview questions to candidates for contested offices in our coverage area — Otsego, Delaware, Schoharie and Chenango counties — at the county level and key races at the municipal level.
The only contested seat on the 14-member Otsego County Board of Representatives is for District 11, representing the city of Oneonta’s First and Second wards. The candidates are Democrat Nora Mendez and Republican Paul Ahearn.
Ahearn, a write-in candidate, does not have contact information filed with the Otsego County Board of Elections. Multiple calls to his office and cellphone were not returned.
Nora Mendez
Why are you running for office?
I want to have a say when it comes to decisions that Otsego County Board Representatives think are right for our county. I want to be involved in the committees that they oversee in order to understand where our resources and money are being used. Also, I want to see how we can restructure our money to benefit the entire county.
Describe your experience or qualifications for office.
Currently chairing the Affordable Housing Committee for the city of Oneonta, recently appointed to Community Relations and Human Rights Commission in Oneonta.
What do you believe are the challenges and opportunities facing Otsego County?
I believe some of the challenges that Otsego County faces are how people are communicated when there are changes or resolutions to the county. Another is lack of public transportation from smaller towns in Oneonta or Cooperstown in order to get to state services.
Is there a particular issue that motivated you to run for county board?
For me, the issue that stood out the most for me is the lack of transportation service that the county has to get around within the county. I see that many people without personal ways of transportation have trouble getting to their appointments with medical, or social services and miss out on getting benefits they need.
What do you want to accomplish while in office?
I want help with trying to get services closer to the county residents.