The mayoral race in the City of Beacon this fall will pit two longtime civil servants, Democrat Steve Gold and Republican Fred Antalek, in a battle to replace outgoing mayor Clara Lou Gould, with a Sept. 18 primary to determine which candidate will earn the Independence Party line.
Gold, the city’s current 4th Ward councilman, has served on the council since 1996 and moved to Beacon from Brooklyn in 1986. He said his main campaign goals are to keep Beacon affordable for its residents and to continue to promote the city as a tourist destination and desirable place to live.
“I want us to keep moving forward with tourism as an economic engine,” he said. “Beacon is a great place to live, visit and work and we need to make sure people are aware of it.”
Antalek, a partner in Antalek and Moore Insurance LLC on Main Street in Beacon and a former four-term city councilman, is hoping to follow in Gould’s footsteps and touts quality-of-life improvements as the keystone of his campaign.
“I’ve been here for 70 years and I’ve seen how we turned it around in Beacon,” he said, referring to the revitalization of the city in the 1990s. “I want to keep that strength and keep it going.”
Gold was initially endorsed by the Independence Party earlier this year, but party members petitioned the Dutchess County Board of Elections in August to give voters a chance to support Antalek in the primary. After some petitions were initially ruled invalid, the resubmitted paperwork, called an opportunity to ballot, was eventually approved.
Antalek cites his time spent working on Main Street – 34 years – and his family background in Beacon as key to his mayoral bid.
“You have to be in the city and be hands-on to be an effective leader,” said Antalek, who has lived in Beacon his entire life. “I think I have what it takes to be mayor.”
Gold said that the key to Beacon’s continued growth will be drawing tourists into the city.
“As Beacon keeps building its tourism attraction base, it benefits everyone. It keeps the city enjoyable and helps reduce the tax burden on homeowners. There are benefits throughout the city,” he said.
Both men have been active in the community – Antalek is a 52-year member of the Mase Hook and Ladder Fire Company and a member of the Beacon Economic Development Task Force while Gold is the founder of the Mount Beacon Incline Railway Restoration Society and designed and maintains the city’s Web site.
Gould, a Republican, announced in May that she would not seek re-election after 18 years in office.