Yorktown Councilman Enters Race for Highway Superintendent

Yorktown Councilman Dave Paganelli has entered the race for the Yorktown highway superintendent position and will seek the Republican nomination. 

Paganelli, who was elected to the town board in 2011 for a four-year term, joins a long list of candidates – a total of eight Republicans, according to Republican Committee Co-chair Serafina Mastro.

The Democratic Town Committee members have not made any official statements, although Thomas Diana and Stephen Gardner have publicly announced their candidacy. 

"Highway is one of the most, if not the most, important departments in town," Paganelli said. "It affects the residents every single day."

Paganelli, a Yorktown resident since 1982, ran Travelers' Rest Restaurant on Route 100 for the last 10 years, but decided not the renew his lease in July 2012. He has been in the food and service industry from 32 years – he started working as a waiter in 1979 and worked his way up to manager and operator of the restaurant. 

Since he left the food industry, he has been doing towing work and driving heavy construction equipment.

Paganelli said his three decades of experience serving people, his management skills, ability to manage budgets and his work on the town board make him an ideal candidate for the position of highway superintendent. 

The highway superintendent is responsible for managing the department's $4.9 million budget and 200 miles of roads and bridges. He also oversees the maintenance of highway trucks and equipment.

"I've been good with numbers, I've been good with people and I enjoy constituent response," Paganelli said. 

Paganelli said he doesn't think the highway superintendent position is political because "you need to serve everyone" in the community.

The Yorktown councilman, who ran on a pro-business platform in 2011, said he he hopes the same people, who voted for him when he ran for councilman, would support him during this year's election. 

"I will bring the same level of commitment to the highway superintendent position and maintain the same level of service," Paganelli said.

Pagenelli said if elected as highway superintendent in November he would continue to work with the present town board and continue to "move Yorktown in the right direction."

"I'm not afraid to work 100 hours per week," he said.

If elected, he would resign from his current position as councilman and town board members would have to appoint another person in his place. The appointed council member would serve from January to November, 2014 when he or she would have to run in a special election to finish the term in December. 

If Paganelli does not win the highway superintendent election, he said, he would remain in his position as councilman. 

"My record of commitment to Yorktown speaks for itself," Paganelli said. "There is no way I'm not going to be active. I'm not going to leave the future of Yorktown without being part of the process."

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