The July periodic campaign finance disclosure forms were due yesterday for any person or committee with an active account.

So while we focused primarily on this year’s candidates I took a peek at the statements of County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef and some of his rumored 2009 opponents.

Vanderhoef, a Republican now serving his fourth term in office, brought in more than $105,800 in contributions in the last six months—more than any of the people running for statewide office this year. He reported a balance of $166,577. 27 after opening with more than $131,200.

Much of his money came from corporate donations and several of his expenditures were on fundraisers.

Among the rumored challengers is Orangetown Town Supervisor Thom Kleiner, who’s getting really good at being charmingly coy when asked about the subject.

He raised nearly $41,000 this period, ending with a balance of $112,788.28. Ramapo Town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence took in nearly $76,000 and Clarkstown Supervisor Alex Gromack took in nearly $61,500.

That’s big money in an off-year compared with Haverstraw Town Supervisor Howard Phillips who took in just more than $1,200 and Stony Point Supervisor Phil Marino who raised about half that.

All five supervisor seats, now filled by Democrats, are up next year as well.

Its details remain secret because it’s a surprise, but the four town supervisors in Rockland have been meeting twice a week since the beginning of this month to practice their performance — singing and dancing — under the direction of two accomplished Broadway dancers.

“This Sunday night is our big performance,” said Stony Point Supervisor Phil Marino, while we were talking about various town businesses at his office this morning.

Along with Supervisors Howard Philips of Haverstraw, Alexander Gromack of Clarkstown, and Thom Kleiner of Orangetown, Marino will perform to raise funds for United Hospice of Rockland at its 2008 Gala at the Colonial Inn in Norwood, N.J.

Marino said he was excited about being part of the fundraising event because of his experience when his and his wife’s fathers were under the care of hospice.

“I can’t say enough nice things what hospice does. … It’s an honor and blessing,” said Marino, adding that he had some muscle sores on his body as a result of the recent practice.

Marino said the four supervisors and other dancers will practice this Saturday and will have a dress rehearsal Sunday prior to the event.

Connie Grunfeld of United Hospice of Rockland said she wouldn’t reveil the details of the performance, but for those who were interested in watching the show, tickets — $195 — for the gala were still available. But they would have to make a reservation by tomorrow (Friday) by calling her at 845-634-4974, she said. The door will be open at 6 p.m. and the dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m. The supervisors will perform about 8 p.m.

Photo by Vincent DiSalvio / The Journal News/LoHud.com 

Two supervisors in North Rockland want to meet the public this Saturday.

Haverstraw town Supervisor Howard Phillips will hold a “meet the supervisor and town elected officials� event from 10 a.m. to noon at the ShopRite store on Route 202 in Garnerville. Residents can bring their questions and concerns related to the town government.

Stony Point Supervisor Phil Marino invites residents to join the “Coffee with the Supervisor” session from 8 to 10 a.m. at Stony Point Town Hall at 74 E. Main St. People can bring their concerns and issues to discuss with Marino. Coffee will be served.

While Marino is having coffee with residents, Stony Point Town Clerk Joan Skinner will open her office for business from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. to accommodate residents who cannot make it to her office on weekdays.

In my recent story on Papo Cancel’s quick comeback to the Haverstraw Town Board, Supervisor Howard Phillips was quoted, saying that two people — Cancel and Salvatore Greco of West Haverstraw — notified the Democratic Committee of their interest in the Town Board seat vacated by John Ramundo. He also said because Greco later withdrew his application, Cancel was the only one left.

After the story was published, John Lawrence, a Republican who unsuccessfully ran for the Town Board in November, sent me e-mail to point out the fact that in the week before Thanksgiving, he met Phillips at Mt Ivy Diner and told him that he wanted that seat.

Then I asked Phillips why he omitted the fact that Lawrence expressed his interest.
“He met with me, but he never applied,� Phillips said. “He told me he was interested, but he never wrote to the Town Board or anything like that.�

So I asked Phillips if he advised Lawrence to write letters to the Town Board to tell the board members that he wanted to be appointed. Phillips said he did.

And Phillips continued: “I like John, he’s a nice person. … Anybody can apply to the Democratic Committee, but if you’re a Republican, I think it would be hard pressed for the Democratic Committee to back.�

Phillips was basically saying that he didn’t include Lawrence in the pool of applicants because he didn’t write letters to the Town Board, but even if he had done so, he wouldn’t have been appointed because he’s a Republican.

Right after the regular Town Board meeting last night, Haverstraw town Supervisor Howard Phillips casually asked Hector Soto, Haverstraw Town Board member-elect, if he wanted to join him and others at Dunkin’ Donuts.

Soto politely declined, saying that he was watching his weight.

Phillips insisted and said, “I’m going to drink water. That’s what I’m going to do.�

Soto smiled, gesturing to his gut, and left.

Phillips looked disappointed, and I felt that his disappointment was not only because Soto didn’t want to eat doughnuts.

Soto, a retired Haverstraw town police detective, wanted run for a Town Board seat on a Democratic line, but the Haverstraw town Democratic Committee nominated incumbent Town Board members Isidro “Papo� Cancel and John Gould for the two seats up for election.

Soto did not give up and ran for the Democratic primary against Cancel and Gould. He defeated Cancel and went on to secure a Town Board seat in the November election, along with Gould.

Phillips, who supported Gould and Cancel for the primary, obviously wants to build a good relationship with Soto so that his town businesses will go smoothly, but if Soto can say no to Phillips’ suggestions beyond the invitation to Dunkin’, things are going to be very interesting.

At any Haverstraw Town Board meetings I’ve attended, I’ve never seen a Town Board member voting no to any resolution proposed.

We’ll see.

As the election nears, it appears that more calls come in to point out a possible abuse of governments’ money or a conspiracy.

Today’s call was about Haverstraw Highway Department’s dump trucks transporting dirt from a construction site on Railroad Avenue to the highway garage.

The caller, Louis “Butch” Babcock, a Republican who is running for town supervisor against Democratic incumbent Howard Phillips, said that it wasn’t appropriate for the town to use its manpower and equipment to haul the dirt, and that the town was doing a favor for the contractor, Scafidi.

I called Highway Superintendent Frank Brooks, a Democrat, to ask what was going on. Brooks said it was a common practice for the town to accept clean fill material from construction sites so the town could use the dirt for its parks and the golf course. Brooks said his men worked for about two days to transport about 450 square yards of dirt because it was a good deal for the town. He said clean fill material would have cost about $12 to $16 per square yard if the town had to buy it.

Babcock then said he believed that the highway department had many other important jobs to take care of other than hauling the dirt. He also said the contractor was one of the contributors to the Haverstraw Town Democratic Committee. I checked the committee’s financial disclosure reports on the state Board of Elections’ Web site, but I didn’t find the name as a donor.

Please let me know if I missed it.