Andrew Leider

I sought elective office once to protect my pursuit of happiness in 2009 as town councilman for the Town of Wallkill. 

I did not win my campaign, however good things did come of it, and I am fully supportive of the town council members and town supervisors that were elected since then, and am delighted with the current representatives.

I encourage anyone who is interested to run for office, especially at the local level, because it makes good things happen.  I met many new friends who are still my friends years later, and I learned a great deal about how government works at the level that most affects me, the local level.

I have worked on the campaigns of others and have contributed to candidates from all of the major parties - Conservative, Democrat, and Republican - whom I believed would serve their town, city, county, state or country best.

 I ran for office because the problems of poor leadership in 2009 by the members of the Town Board were threatening my investment in this town, and threatening my business neighbors investments as well. 

 Our properties, our right to the pursuit of happiness, and our finances were all under threat by the mismanagement at that time of the business of the Town of Wallkill.

The Town of Wallkill, my town,  has the best location and assets  in Orange County.   Competent fiscal management by the Board is essential for economic growth.

We must keep the focus of this Town Board on its prime objective, which is the financial health of this town.

Thank you for supporting our current Town Council, our Town Supervisor, and our amazing town employees, who are working hard to deliver great service in our town.

My origins

My immediate family has resided in Orange County since 1941.   This is a picture of my parents and I at our home, that I still have, in Bellvale.

I have been in business here since 1970. I have been a practicing attorney since 1977 and my office is in Middletown.

 I am a small businessman, who understands what it takes to create wealth for others - for my employees, for the customers I serve, for my business partners - and I understand from the businessperson's point of view how local government's relationship with its citizens brings capital investment to our neighborhoods.

As a practicing attorney, I believe that if the Town of Wallkill would employ their own Town Attorney to be on staff, this would provide great expertise to the Town Council, expertise that could greatly reduce its current wasteful expenditures on unnecessary legal consultations.  Currently they contract their legal counsel, and this has an effect of encouraging lots of hours billed to the town.  An attorney on staff would be a known budget amount, and would have incentive to keep the legal hours to a minimum, and settle issues of law in the clearest manner possible. 

 A town attorney would apply legal experience and common sense to help make sure the budget is transparent and clear, that the revenue is not wasted, and that we are getting the best value for our taxes.  We, the taxpayers of Wallkill, are the customers of this Town government, and the Town Board of the Town of Wallkill is always getting more customer-focused.

Orange County is the best location in the State of New York to locate a commercial business, and I have invested my life's savings into real estate in this area.  My crown jewel is a warehouse on State Route 302.

There are other small businessmen struggling for success here in Orange County, who have let me know that my previous frustration with the inefficient local government was shared by many citizens here.  We must continue to improve the Town business operations for all of us, so we can together succeed.