Longtime Residents Vie for GOP Southeast Supervisor’s Nomination

Two Southeast residents are going head-to-head next week in a primary that will determine who the Republican candidate will be for town supervisor in November’s general election.

Putnam County Legislature Chairman Paul Jonke is looking to take the same route as Tony Hay, the longtime incumbent, from the county board to lead the town. First, Jonke will have to defeat Nick Durante. Both are longtime Southeast residents.

Hay will be stepping aside after serving the town as supervisor for four terms.

Nick Durante

Durante is a 48-year Southeast resident and lives with his wife Karry and two teenage daughters, who both attend the Brewster School District. A 1986 Brewster High School graduate himself, Durante worked as a lineman for Verizon for 30 years until he retired in 2020.

For about 10 years, he has also owned Bella Vino Spirits, a Brewster wine and spirits shop.

Responsible development, traffic and creating local jobs for young people are key issues for Durante.

“I see Southeast losing our small-town charm,” Durante remarked. “We see businesses on our mountaintops causing more traffic problems along routes 22 and 6. There aren’t many homes and land that can be developed, but there are buildings that have been empty for years that we could use.”

Encouraging businesses to open in Southeast could create more jobs for younger people, Durante said.

“There isn’t that much opportunity for young folks to come here, which is why there aren’t a lot of young people here,” he said. “But young families are starting to trickle in, but so many can’t afford to live here.”

Durante said he fully supports maintaining the local police department.

“I know for all of us seeing the boys in blue around us helps with our feeling (of) safety and knowing all is good,” Durante said. “I’d love to see more of their presence in our town.”

For years, Durante coached local youth sports including Tee-ball, softball and lacrosse. These days he is a youth hockey coach and is involved with the local adult recreation league at the Brewster Ice Arena.

Durante said if elected town supervisor he would not take a pay raise during his term.

Paul Jonke

Jonke has lived in Southeast for the last 24 years. He has served on the county legislature for the last six years and was elected legislative chair last year. He grew up in Putnam County, is a Mahopac High School alumnus and earned his bachelor’s degree from SUNY Cortland.

“I’m running because I fell in love with Southeast since I moved here and I want to continue to keep it affordable, especially when it comes to town taxes,” Jonke said.

Jonke has served as town assessor for Southeast, Carmel and Kent for the past 30 years, a position he still holds. He is also a licensed real estate broker.

He is concerned with future development in Southeast.

“It’s important to keep responsible commercial development in the town,” Jonke noted. “Big projects that are being proposed need to be reviewed and looked at especially when it comes to traffic issues. It’s also important to work with the (Brewster) village administration where revitalization is concerned.”

With over 30 years of experience handling municipal issues, Jonke said he was able to convince town officials to adopt the homestead tax option.

“That reduced residential property tax relative to commercial property taxes,” he said.

If Jonke wins the supervisor position he will vacate his legislative seat as soon as he takes office next January.

Voting

Primary Day is next Tuesday, June 27. Registered Republican voters can also vote early at the Putnam County Board of Elections, located at 25 Old Route 6 in Carmel. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for Tuesday, June 20 and Thursday, June 22 from 12 to 8 p.m.