BY NANCY KELLY
Kings County Advertiser/Register
Controversy over an “unprecedented change” in “the 11th hour” to the village voting process prompted Kingston village commissioner Doug Beaman to withdrawn his candidacy for a seat on the village commission and announce his resignation, effective June 2.
Beaman, who re-joined the commission for a third term late last fall in an interim capacity, decided to re-offer for an additional three-year term, filing his nomination papers May 26 at the village office.
Cory Lingard also registered his intention to run for the single seat open on the commission.
Early last week, Beaman learned Lingard had approached the village clerk about the possibility of holding an advance poll prior to the June 8 annual meeting. After consulting the village’s municipal advisor, village clerk Greg Towne and village chairman Tom Beardsley made the decision to offer an advance poll at the village office June 7 from 2 to 4 p.m.
Towne said the municipal advisor did not stipulate how the information about the revised voting procedure was to be communicated to the public. Information about the advanced poll was posted on the village website and on posters at the village commission office and post office.
Beaman learned of the decision via email. Neither he nor his fellow commissioners were consulted about the move to establish the advanced poll.
“I couldn’t believe it,” said Beaman of the decision he feels “accommodated additional voting opportunities for one of the candidates.” Due to a previously scheduled out-of-town commitment for several days prior to June 7, Beaman said he would have little time to notify his supporters about the advanced poll.
"The way this (advance poll) came about was underhanded and unpalatable and I wanted no part of it.” - Doug Beaman
“To my knowledge, this has never happened in Kingston before, so how would people know about it?”
Beardsley, who confirmed an advanced poll has never been held for a village election in Kingston, said the decision was made in the interest of “furthering the democratic process.” Unaware Beaman was scheduled to be away before the AGM, he admitted he might has done things differently if he had that information.
“At the time, I did what I thought was fair.”
Towne said the decision to hold the early voting opportunity addressed the fact “it is not the most democratic thing to allow voting at just the AGM.”
Had the option of holding an advanced poll been discussed at a regular commission meeting, or in a timely manner, more than one week before the election, Beaman acknowledged he would not have had a problem with the request.
“That would have been fair for both candidates, but the way this (advance poll) came about was underhanded and unpalatable and I wanted no part of it.”
Beaman withdrew from the election and resigned immediately. He has no plans to attend the village AGM and has asked his letter of resignation be read into the record at the meeting. Beaman, “very keen about the prospect of taking on another three-year term” on the commission, admitted to being disappointed in the process surrounding the change in the voting process.
“Where is the transparency when last minutes changes are made like this?”
As the lone nominee for the position, Lingard will be acclaimed to a seat on the commission at the upcoming AGM.
