Massena Mayor James Hidy speaks at Monday’s Republican caucus in Massena. He got the party nod by a 20-11 vote.

By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- After a heated debate that at times involved shouting across the town hall board room, the Massena Republicans nominated incumbent Mayor James Hidy to run for his office again in November.

“This is going to be a rough road. I’m committed to this community,” Hidy said after winning the nod by a 20-11 vote.

They also unanimously chose incumbent trustee Patricia Wilson and former county legislator R. Shawn Gray to run for two village trustee seats. They did not nominate anyone to run for village or town justice.

Hidy will challenge Tim Currier, the Democratic candidate. Gray and Wilson will challenge Democrats Matthew Lebire and incumbent Tim Ahlfeld for the trustee seats.

Democrats Eric Gustafson and Gerald Sharlow will run unopposed for respective village and town justice offices.

Both Hidy and Currier will also appear on independent ballot lines.

Hidy’s nomination came with fierce opposition from party members George Brouse, Charlie Romeigh and Gray. Their sentiments were in opposition to Gary Borgosz, who said Hidy has kept the village afloat without compromising essential services.

“People have to understand he has met the 2 percent tax cap threshold … without compromising services to the community,” Borgosz said.

He also noted that Hidy recently made $190,000 in savings to workman’s comp payments and believes he is a good advocate for Massena on the Local Government Task Force. They are working to get a better deal from the New York Power Authority in exhange for their operating the St. Lawrence-Roosevelt Power Project.

Massena Fire Department Captain spoke against Hidy and said he has been an enemy of the firefighters for his entire time in office.

“We have been totally disrespected by Jimmy for the last four years,” Brouse said.

Hidy and the fire department were involved in a dispute at a recent village board meeting. They disagreed over who would travel to inspect a new fire truck the department is to receive.

Defending himself, Hidy said the fire department sees anyone who doesn’t give them their way as an enemy.

Gray said he doesn’t think Hidy treats his constituents with respect and during his tenure, has made the Massena Republicans “a laughing stock.”

“People who come (to village board meetings) need to be treated with respect … and they’re not,” Gray said. “Do you want a mayor or do you want a dictator?”

“A person comes to this room to address a grievance and they’re treated as a second-class citizen.”

When members of the public seek answers during the meetings’ public comment periods, the mayor often declines to answer, and tells them to see him in his office in the morning.

“This is a village board meeting, they are invited guests,” Hidy said, adding that it slows down the meeting if he responds to concerns or inquiries. “I’ve always had an open-door policy to anybody, and people use it … that’s how you keep the meeting going.”

Prior to Hidy being selected, Romeigh moved that the Massena GOP make no nomination for mayor. It went to a vote, and was shot down 21-9.

Tony DiTullio said he believes the party owes it to the voters to put up a candidate.

“I think it is one of our responsibilities as citizens of this town to put up a candidate and let the voters decide,” he said.

Although he didn’t speak up until after that vote was made, Gray took the opposing stance.

“Fielding a candidate for the sake of fielding a candidate is not democracy, it’s going through the motions,” he said.