Miller Announces Plan to Run for Mayor in Esperance - Town Seeking Comp Plan Committee Members

By Heather Skinner

ESPERANCE — On November 20th, the regular Esperance Town Board meeting was held.

Thank you to Town Clerk, Jessica Castle, for providing meeting minutes and updates.

Justin Miller presented his plan to run for Mayor of the Village of Esperance to the Board. That position is currently held by Mayor Royce Gage. While Castle is resigning from Town Clerk as of December 19th, largely due to a board-requested change in the amount of days for her to work per week that didn’t align with Castle’s schedule.

The overall Final Budget was adopted on November 6th, as noted by Supervisor Earl VanWormer III, and Highway Superintendent, Michelle Brust, submitted to the CHIPS Highway Improvement Program for qualifying repairs in November. That amount will be reimbursed by December 16th to continue to help cover costs of road repairs and maintenance needed in the future.

The Board discussed the National Grid Outdoor Lighting LED Conversion Program and passed a motion approving the replacement of lights within the Sloansville Light District.

The 2026 Schoharie Valley Animal Contract signing approval for $800.00 passed. Castle explained that the contract is for when dogs are taken to the Shelter by the Dog Control Officer to be held for pickup by the resident. If the dogs aren’t licensed, the residents are required to license their dog with the Town Clerk in order to pick their dog up from the Shelter.

A motion also passed to provide legislation support for the consumer right to choose energy services in 2026 under the Energy Choice Act, “To end the NYS ban on new propane and natural gas hookups scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026.” The Energy Choice Act has been a matter of interest in NYS news and credited as introduced by Congressman Nick Langworthy, and supported by Elise Stefanik. It was created in response to the NYS Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and its goal to eliminate fossil fuels as an energy source, which is a mandate supported by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

VanWormer is still seeking diverse representation of Esperance residents from the Town, Village, , Central Bridge, etc,. who want to apply to join The Comprehensive Plan Committee. After the application window, 5-7 total volunteers will work on a plan before zoning regulations get designed. VanWormer has explained that this doesn’t mean there will be any changes to regulations, it’s just recommended the comprehensive plan is looked at every 5 years. No prior meeting attendance or experience is required to apply to volunteer on the Committee, and all who are interested can call Town Hall at 518-875-6109, or email VanWormer at supervisor@esperancetown-ny.gov.

Esperance Town Board meetings start at 7PM every third Thursday of the month (next falling on December 18th) at Town Hall, which is located at 104 Charleston Street.

Esperance Village meetings are held every second Monday, which will be December 8th this month, at 7PM in the Village Meeting Hall at 115 Church Street.

Attending Town Board Meetings provides an opportunity to look through the Correspondence Folder each month. Both Town and Village meetings start with the Pledge of Allegiance and offer opportunities for all in attendance to speak and ask questions during 5-minute Privilege of the Floor.

Jessica Castle’s resignation letter was posted on a Town Hall door in time for the November 20th regular Town Board meeting. Castle is unsure how long it will remain posted for residents to see, but hopes it will remain up through tax collection, which runs January-May 31st. Castle expressed how much she enjoyed the job of Town Clerk and residents. Going forward, she plans to use her degree as a physical therapist, while continuing to homeschool her children. Castle said you may also see her in attendance at regular monthly meetings from time to time.