By Russ Tarby
Contributing Writer
In normal years, village elections take place in mid-June but in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order on May 1 postponing the 2020 village elections until Sept. 15.
In normal years, party caucuses convene in April to nominate candidates for village office.
This year, the Liverpool’s Republican Caucus is scheduled at the village hall meeting room at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, according to the Republican Village Committee Chairman Joe Ostuni Jr.
All registered Republicans residing within the village are eligible to attend and participate in Thursday’s caucus. State guidelines regarding the pandemic will be followed, Ostuni said, including masks and social distancing.
Three incumbent officials, Village Justice Anthony LaValle and Village Trustees Matt Devendorf and Mike LaMontagne are expected to be nominated by the GOP.
LaValle, who is the principal law clerk and senior counsel to New York State Supreme Court Justice James Murphy in the Fifth Judicial District, seeks his fourth 4-year term as Liverpool’s judge, having first been elected in 2008.
Initially elected as trustee in 2016, Devendorf is now seeking his third 2-year term, while LaMontagne seeks his second term after winning his first in 2018.
Devendorf works as director of sales and marketing at Young & Franklin/Tactair. From 2013 and 2016, he served on the village zoning board of appeal.
LaMontagne is a principal architect at C&S Companies in Syracuse, and served for several years on the village planning board.
Those three Republican incumbents will likely run without opposition this year. Democrats have failed to field any candidate for village office since 2001 and have not conducted a caucus since that year.
On the other hand, any village resident may file an independent nominating petition in order to be listed as a candidate on the Sept. 15 ballot. Petition forms are available at the village hall; 315-457-3441.
To qualify, each independent candidate must collect a minimum of 50 valid signatures.
The village election will take place from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, at the Village Hall, 310 Sycamore St.
