Less than a month away from his last day as mayor of Cornwall-on-Hudson, Mayor James Gagliano is beginning to tie up some loose ends, as well as work with his apparent successor -- Trustee Jim Kane – on the issues that Kane will lead the Village Board on for the next two years as mayor. Kane, who is expected to be elected mayor on March 18 since he is running unopposed, is not unfamiliar with any of the issues.

Voting is from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. next Tuesday, and most likely the first person in the voting booth on that day will be Gagliano, casting a vote for his friend.

He explained this week:

“I have known Jim Kane since he first sought an elected position on the Village Board in 2009, and while canvassing, knocked on my door seeking support for his candidacy. I was immediately drawn in by his sober, measured, intelligent, and balanced takes on matters the Village Board was then confronting. He had my vote then and has re-earned it in every election since -- honorably serving as a trustee and providing wise counsel to village mayors for fifteen years,” Gagliano said.

Gagliano added that in 2019, Kane and then-Deputy Mayor Mark Edsall helped recruit him to run for a seat on the board.

“They both have served as mentors to me as I was entering an arena of which I had limited ‘inside’ understanding,” the mayor said. “When Mark left the board after two decades of service in 2019, then-Mayor Brendan Coyne appointed Jim Kane to the vacant deputy mayor position. I reappointed him to the same position when I was elected mayor in 2021. He has served as deputy mayor for six years and across two different administrations – a testament to his judgment, discernment, bipartisanship, and quiet professionalism. He remains the last man in the room, having helped two mayors reach decisions on consequential matters that impact and help shape our community.”

Gagliano says that Kane is highly qualified for the mayoral position.

“Jim’s decision to run for mayor came after careful consideration,” he said. “As a practicing attorney, he weighs every issue by evaluating its consequences. He is imbued with abundant humility – a prerequisite for a leader. And for over a decade and a half has graciously reviewed and researched legal matters, saving the village tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees. He attends numerous events and celebrations representing the board and you can’t miss his lanky frame walking his two black, rescued dogs up and down Hudson Street.”

Gagliano feels like he is leaving ‘his’ board in a very good hands.

“Since 2001, Deputy Mayor Kane has called Cornwall-on-Hudson home and has plenty of ‘skin in the game’. He and Trustee David Carnright (also running for a board seat) are village institutions and I owe them both for helping me execute the myriad duties of this office. They will continue to make a great team. The Village Board consists of trustees that I have been blessed to serve with across my four years as mayor – Kane, Carnright, Ken Schmidt, Rich Gaillard, Lori Beth Paliotta, and Bill Braine (who is also on the ballot this election), and I support every one of them. Their commitment to this village remains unquestioned. We are lucky to have selfless public servants such as these men and women who continue to lead us into the twenty-first century.”

But, of course, the mayoral position is most dear to his heart. Gagliano made a final pitch for Kane as mayor.

“If you are happy and content with the direction the village is headed and the progress we have made together, I urge you to elect Jim Kane to be your next mayor on Tuesday, March 18. If, alternatively, you are seeking an independent mind and someone who possesses his own vision for Cornwall-on-Hudson in 2025 and beyond, he’s also your man. Fact remains that his running unopposed in this year’s election bespeaks volumes about the high regard with which this community views Jim’s aptitude for the position. Simply put, if elected, he will make the village proud to have him serve as its 30th mayor. Please join me in voting Kane for mayor.”

In addition to Kane, Carnright and Braine running unopposed for re-election, there is also a proposition on the ballot – voters will be asked if trustee terms should be increased to four years from the current two. That vote would not affect the two-year terms Carnright and Braine are running for.