INSIGHT ON 2021 CAMPAIGNS
Meanwhile, OCCA Planner Founds
Blog On Opportunities For Region
By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com
ONEONTA – When Danny Lapin ran for the county Board of Representatives in 2017, “My wife was very supportive.”
Lapin, a newcomer to the City of Oneonta, excelled in door-to-door campaigning, and that fall the untested young Democrat, then 28, pulled off what many considered an upset against Len Carson, a retired OFD captain and commander of the American Legion.
Now, after four years serving District 13 (Wards 5-6), he’s expressing his appreciation to wife Lindy and son Raphie by stepping down from the county board at the end of the year to devote more time to his family life. When the deadline for petitions passed yesterday, many were surprised to find that Lapin wasn’t on the candidates’ list.
While the main motivating factor was “my responsibility to my family,” Lapin, the seven-year environmental planner with OCCA (the Otsego County Conservation Association), also believes in term limits, (usually a position held by Republicans.)
“As far as the county goes, new blood is healthy,” he said – but don’t write him out of the local political script yet: “My sights are set on mayor,” he said. “Not right away, but in two years.”
(Ponder this: If Carson, running for mayor this year against Democrat Mark Drnek, wins Nov. 2, city voters may be in for another Carson-Lapin contest in 2023.)
Meanwhile, Lapin is chairing the City of Oneonta’s Planning Commission, and he’s created a blog where – as an experienced planner with two environmental degrees, a bachelor’s from UC Riverside and master’s from Bard – he intends to share his expertise with the community.
Lapin joined the OCCA after graduating from Bard in 2014, and served as a town-to-town circuit rider, conducted environmental reviews of large projects in the county, and advised communities on comp-plan development, farmland protection, and blocking invasive species.
On the county board, controlled by the Republicans throughout his tenure, he served on Health & Education, Solid Waste & Environmental Concerns, Human Services, Public Works and Strategic Planning committees.
Interviewed this afternoon, Lapin said he’s proud to have cooperated with the majority in “holding the line on taxes … I’m happy to say I voted with the majority of my colleagues to keep our taxes the lowest in the state.”
He pressed for county government to participate in Energize New York, served on the county Energy Task Force, and sought to make sure “the county is an active partner in the ag community,” helping in the completion of the county Farmland Protection Plan.
“Locally, I advocated for my Fifth- and Sixth-Ward constituents, providing information on COVID-19 and better communications. I stood with them during controversial projects like RSS” – a Sixth Ward affordable housing project that included a drug-rehab component – “although I understand the need for more affordable housing.”
At “only 32,” he said “I still will be dedicated to serving the community, not just in elective office.”
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Lapin Leaving County Board, But Plans 2023 Bid For Oneonta Mayor - AllOTSEGO
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