By Jared Castañeda
Walden Mayor John Ramos, a longtime resident and veteran, announced last week that he will run in the village’s 2025 mayoral election this March. As a candidate versed in public service and dedicated to his community, he wishes to continue addressing village problems and collaborating with higher-level governments.
Ramos was born and raised in Newburgh during the 1950s, moved to Plattekill in the ‘60s, and graduated from Wallkill High School. Between 1975 and 2010, he dedicated his career to military service and law enforcement; he was a first sergeant in the U.S. Air Force for 35 years, a state trooper in Newburgh and Montgomery for 22 years, and a transportation supervisor of the Veterans Association Hospital for 21 years. During his time in school and as a trooper, Ramos grew attached to Walden and moved to the village with his wife in 1999. He was eager to raise his children in a cozy, quaint village.
“I’ve always liked this area; I’m a Wallkill High School graduate, so I frequented Walden in my younger days. Walden was the quaint village that everyone gravitated to, and I wanted my children to grow up in a quaint village like this,” Ramos said. “There’s a lot of great people and good families here, and it’s always a pleasure to talk to them. Even if you haven’t seen them for weeks, you meet up with them at Hannaford while doing some shopping, and it’s like you saw them only an hour ago.”
Passionate about public service, Ramos sought to further improve his home and joined the village government in 2016. He started as a member of the planning board, became a trustee for the village board a year later, and was elected Walden’s current mayor in 2021. Outside of government, Ramos is a veteran mentor for a Middletown mentorship program and a volunteer at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, supporting local veterans with Reverend Nicole Hanley.
Over his two terms, Ramos and his board established the Anita Vandermark Community Center in James Olley Park, removed zombie poles off village streets, expanded the Walden Police Department with younger recruits, and streamlined building inspections with improved processes. One of his biggest challenges as mayor has been addressing the village’s aging zoning laws, which he and the board are currently revamping.
“Our zoning laws have aged, and I understand they’re in place for a reason. But you have to collaborate with those who are asking for certain things,” Ramos said. “We’re almost halfway done with the new zoning laws, we have to get back at it soon. There are other things tabled on our agendas that haven’t been reviewed in years, and we’ll be getting to those too. I’m glad Deputy Mayor Carley, at the time, decided that we should focus on that.”
If elected for a third term, Ramos wants to strengthen relationships with the county and state governments, as he feels Walden is a little overshadowed compared to other municipalities in Orange County. Through these partnerships, he wishes to secure bigger grants for the village to put toward future project, such a new sewer plant. He also hopes to fill the village’s empty storefronts with more shops and services.
“Walden is on the furthest west part of the county, and sometimes I feel that we’re not being listened to,” Ramos said regarding higher-level governments. “We need to let the county and state know that we’re here. We see other municipalities getting big grants, and we’ve been filing our grants, but we don’t receive anything other than our CDBG grants. The Village of Montgomery received a $4.5 million grant a while ago, and we could really use money that for a new sewage treatment plant.”
Ramos hopes that residents give him another opportunity to serve the community following this upcoming election.
“I’m an active listener, am passionate about the village, and I bring a myriad of experiences, not only from the military but also the state police and VA Hospital. I have different areas I can tap into,” Ramos said. “When I listen to things, I rationize them. And if the logistics are there, then I run with them. If not, then I have to say ‘Hey, this can’t be done, can we do it some other way?’”
Ramos faces a challenge in the March 18 election from Village Trustee and former Mayor Becky Pearson who announced last week that she wants her old job back.