Times Union Profile

I am posting these in advance of a story that the TU is working on. The story on the Ballston Town Supervisor Republican Primary will likely hit the paper before early voting begins on June 13th. It will be authored by Wendy Liberatore, who has a reputation for sloppy lazy one-sided journalism. (the full article is now posted after my numbered responses) Below is the full article from the TU with my notes followed by my original responses to the TU.

Antoski, Connolly battle again for Ballston supervisor in GOP primary

Regardless of outcome, both will be on ballot in November

By Wendy Liberatore, Staff WriterJune 13, 2026

Courtesy of John Antoski and Eric Connolly

BALLSTON — This month’s primary for supervisor is a replay of 2025. The same candidates. The same party line. And the same big issue: development.

Once again, Republicans will head to the polls to choose incumbent Supervisor John Antoski or his predecessor, Eric Connolly, as their candidate to address persistent land-use debates in the community.

Ballston candidates have been here before. Last June, these same candidates went head-to-head in a Republican primary. Antoski won by 30 votes out of 387 cast and ran unopposed in November’s general election, though Connolly launched a write-in campaign that failed to gain traction.

What’s on your ballot: Saratoga County 2026 primary voter guide

Antoski told the Times Union he won because “residents felt like they were not being heard.” But this time, Connolly says he’s the man for the job because, among other things, he “successfully negotiated an informal agreement to keep (a proposed solar array) project strictly under the existing 150-acre cap.” (taken out of context, I never said this is why I am the right person for the job, negotiating the informal agreement was just the right thing to do for our community. Our current Supervisor was not actively working on a resolution)

That project is a 53-acre array of solar panels proposed by Connolly’s largest campaign contributor, Garth Ellms. (Mr. Ellms and I share a mutual respect for each other, he is well aware that I am beyond being influenced by a campaign contribution - we have almost doubled what he generously contributed) To allow the project to move forward, the town would have to issue a variance to exceed its 150-acre cap on solar arrays. Currently, solar panels are on 124 acres in Ballston.

On his campaign page, Connolly is claiming he has stopped any further solar arrays being built in the town.

“The Building Department will no longer be accepting applications for large-scale solar development in our town,” he announced. “While the path to this resolution was unconventional, it saved our taxpayers from a costly legal battle and, most importantly, preserved the integrity of the code we built to protect our town.”

The Times Union could not independently confirm with the Building Department if this was the case.

Antoski is not questioning Connolly’s purported involvement in any agreement between the town and Connolly’s largest donor. But he did stress that government operations must follow proper procedure, “not informal agreements.”

“Applicants must apply and be approved through our Planning Board based on our code,” he said. “That is why we have a Planning Board: to approve or disapprove projects based on our code. It is a matter of following the established process.”

Antoski also said he is running to “help keep Ballston the wonderful community it has been.”

To him, the biggest issues are “listening to residents, maintaining and improving our infrastructure, protecting our quality of life, keeping taxes under control, and avoiding excessive development that threatens the very reasons people choose to live here,” he wrote in an email.

The candidates have a lot more in common beyond their roles. Both are social studies teachers. Antoski, 61, teaches at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, where he doubles as K-12 supervisor of social studies for the district. Connolly, 55, teaches at Schenectady High School. (I have taught Government and Economics for over 20 years)

Though the candidates appear to be similar on paper, Connolly wrote to the Times Union that he has “an entirely different level of ‘get things done’ energy to the job (this sentence is not quoted word for word, it doesn't read well the way she represented it - see question 9 below). I am happy to delegate important initiatives to the other members of our Town Board, but I am also willing to take the lead.”

He lists his accomplishments as building a new parking area at Ballston Creek Preserve, the new playground at Jenkins Park, and new sidewalks on both ends of the town (she left off the Town Corner at 50 and Lake Hill in Burnt Hills - this took years of hard work and community support to transform - see question 9).

However, more than half of the town — about 10,000 acres — is in a state-designated agricultural district. Connolly lost support from farmers with various actions, including changing the zoning of 90 acres of agricultural lands to commercial, (the Katz P.U.D.D. was approved by our Planning Board before my time in office began in 2020. The 90 acres in question had not been actively farmed for multiple generations. I saw no reason to oppose the requested removal from Ag District 2. standing by while the town blocked a farmer’s access to property by installing guardrails, (completely misleading - we installed guardrails on the often flooding lower part of Outlet Road. These were placed entirely in the Town's right-of-way. There is nothing but wetlands on either side of the guardrails. This lawsuit failed at the Supreme Court and on 6-18-26 an appellate court ruled in favor of the Town) and most controversially, disbanding the Farmland Protection and Preservation Committee. (this was a tough but unanimous decision by the Town Board, our HR firm, and our legal team. Members of the committee became embroiled in a feud that was escalating towards a lawsuit, we always intended on reestablishing a similar committee with more clear goals and fresh members at a later date - A statement stating such became part of the public record at the time of the decision) Antoski re-established the committee even after some on the Town Board pushed back. “I cannot say for certain that I was elected to protect farmland,” Antoski said. “I like to think that I was elected because a number of residents felt like they were not being heard.”

One difference from last year’s primary is the Ballston Republican committee endorsement — or lack thereof. In 2025, the party urged voters to back Connolly, then the incumbent. This time around, the committee chose not to endorse a primary candidate. Chair Aaron Smith did not immediately respond to a Times Union request to explain the decision.

Regardless of who wins the primary, both Antoski and Connolly will be on November’s ballot. Both have independent lines and Antoski received the Saratoga County Conservative Party’s endorsement. Chair Tom Sartin said that though Connolly didn’t seek the nod, the committee interviewed Antoski and was convinced he was “standing up for the residents.”

“Overdevelopment is a concern,” Sartin said. (Ballston’s population has spiked 21% since 2010.) “We looked at Eric’s track record and John is the better person to protect the farms. He also is professional at town meetings. Eric is not always polite to people at the podium.” (In six years I always conducted myself in a professional manner. Tom Sartin is heavily influenced by one of his committee members who has repeatedly violated Town code. See response #8. I don't recall Mr. Sartin attending any Town Board meetings)

Connolly won in 2019 as a candidate who promised to stave off development. During his six years in office, he zoned out multiunit apartment buildings and established a purchase of development rights program for farmers. (as a Town Board we also increased setbacks from wetlands and decreased the "by right" levels of density for both residential and commercial development - upholding a campaign pledge to slow down growth)

In an email to the Times Union, he said he is running again to “permanently preserve our farmland and open space, to improve walkability on both ends of town, and to create community for us and future generations by connecting Burnt Hills to Ballston Spa with a Veterans Bike Trail extension.”  (Mr. Antoski was the sole "no" vote on a recent resolution required for the Town's grant application to extend our bike trail from Outlet Road to the Zim Smith Trail in the village of Ballston Spa. This connection is a vital link in a larger regional network, especially as the County is actively working on extending the Zim Smith Trail from its current terminus on Oak Street in Ballston Spa all the way to Saratoga Spa State Park. Even though the Town has responsibly planned ahead and already saved the required 20% matching funds, Mr. Antoski stated during a recent Town Board meeting that he does not believe this connection is a good use of Town resources. Mr. Antoski is apparently okay with missing out on a historic opportunity to connect our community to a major Capital Region-wide trail system.)

Antoski, on the other hand, said he wants to “focus on the essentials and deliver them exceptionally well.

Word for Word Responses Emailed to the Times Union

1. Why do you want to run again? To work with property owners to permanently preserve our farmland and open space, to improve walkability on both ends of Town, and to create community for us and future generations by connecting Burnt Hills to Ballston Spa with a Veterans Bike Trail extension.

   
   

2. What do you want to accomplish? I’d like to work with Saratoga PLAN, our town team, and Saratoga County to permanently preserve our first parcel of land using funds built up in our Purchase of Development Rights fund that I helped to establish. I’d like to work with our team to see our Veteran’s bike trail connect to the Zim Smith trail to the north and the Mohawk Hudson bike trail to the south. I’d also like to find a way for our fine folks in Double Day Woods to safely cross over Route 50 and extend sidewalks down Thomas Ave to connect with the sidewalks we encouraged a developer to install along Garrett Road.

3. What are the biggest issues facing the town? Revising and carrying out our ten-year plan to improve our public water infrastructure,  following through and helping our residents around Ballston Lake hook up to the Ballston Lake Sewer District, and negotiating a new three year contract with our unionized highway and Water Department. Employee retention and morale are key ingredients to keeping our roadways in excellent condition. 

4. How old are you? 55 years young

5. Are you still teaching technology at Schenectady High? No. I am a social studies teacher at Schenectady high school. I have taught government and economics for over two decades. 

6. Some voters feel you did not keep your promise to protect farmland and stop development. How do you respond? After we updated our comprehensive plan we made the following updates to our zoning: We zoned multi-unit apartment building out, we installed a PDR program that is building up funds to be used to permanently preserve farmland and open space, we increased mandatory setbacks from wetlands and waterways, in our rural district we downzoned from a one acre minimum per dwelling to a five acre minimum per dwelling, and we established a “50% by right” provision that limits how much unconstrained land a developer can develop. The development folks see on Brookline and Route 50 and on Route 50 just south of McCrea Hill Road on the west side all slipped in prior to us going into the building moratorium we enacted. 

7. Some voters think you are beholden to Garth Ellms and will help him to expand his solar panel arrays if you win. Do you want to comment? Please refer to my recent post on voteericconnolly.com

8. I’m told the Conservative committee does not want to back you if you win the primary. Do you want to comment on that? The Chairman of the Conservative Party is unfairly influenced by Ballston resident Emila Meddick. Mrs. Meddick applied for an Ag  building permit in Ballston and then proceeded to build an illegal two-story residence without any inspections. She does not want to see me back in office because she understands that any responsible Supervisor would encourage the Town Building Inspector to enforce our codes. This matter is currently under investigation. In my opinion, Mr. Sartin would be wise to remove this dishonest resident from his committee. 

9. What sets you apart from John? I bring an entirely different level of “get things done” energy to the job. I am happy to delegate important initiatives to the other members of our Town Board, but I am also willing to take the lead. I took the lead on the Town Corner in Burnt Hills, The new parking area at Ballston Creek Preserve, the new playground at Jenkins Park, and the new walkways on both ends of Town. As stated in the Meet the Candidates recording that is available for viewing on voteericconnolly.com, Mr. Antoski believes he is primarily a legislator with minimal executive responsibilities. In my opinion, this is a fundamental misunderstanding of the Supervisor job.