Miller brings experience to the table with a long career with the St. Lawrence County highway department and is currently employed as the Massena village department of public works superintendent.

Miller will face two write-in candidates in the election — Larissa Fawkner and Peggy Brusso.

North Country This Week recently asked the candidates several key questions on the minds of some voters, and inquired about the candidates’ stance on several issues facing the electorate.

“Four years ago I ran for a Town council seat, a first for me. There is something about stepping up and helping your community with its issues, good or bad. I felt with my years of experience working with municipalities, I would be able to help in some manner,” Miller told North Country This Week.

However, the candidate said he has been upset with the lack of added or improved infrastructure within the town.

“My thoughts are how can I invite new businesses to the Town of Potsdam, when I do not have adequate infrastructure in place in areas outside the villages. When you broaden your tax base, it can allow taxes to go down,” Miller said.

He said another frustration he has experienced during his time on the board is the lack of communication and collaboration between the town board and the village boards of Potsdam and Norwood. If elected, he hopes to improve on that.

He said as supervisor, the top issue he would be dealing with is the Route 56 Water and Sewer District. While the project has faced several hurdles getting underway, Miller said there is still one major challenge to overcome.

“Making it an affordable project for the people of the proposed district, the Town needs to secure more funding to help lower the burden of cost on the taxpayers,” Miller said. “When elected, I will be heading to Albany to have conversations with funding agencies to help the Town of Potsdam see this project through, and provide the people of the district with safe drinking water and municipal sewer.”

The candidate said another initiative moving forward would be crafting a 10-year plan that would “outline the town’s comprehensive plan and incorporate projects that need to be updated to fall in line with the Town's goals for the future.”

Miller said one step towards making this happen is the town budgeting for grant writing and engineering services.

“There are numerous projects that need to be addressed, and having a firm within our network will help expedite the process and allow the Town to start getting in on more available funding from government agencies,” he said.

“I feel this has been a major black eye for the Town Board, I feel we have missed out on a lot of opportunities that could have helped with some of our projects,” he stated.

Miller said he believes that a town supervisor needs to be an accomplished leader to be successful that supervisor requires four traits:

• Being a chief financial officer. “I have been working with and crafting municipal budgets for 20 years. I feel my experience on crafting a budget, and being on the other side of the table with having to follow a budget, helps make this part of the Supervisor’s position a smooth transition for me. I have put together budgets in a range from one million to ten million, with numerous departments, Miller said.

• Good communication. “I have found, through my years of service, that this can lead to a true breakdown of Government without communicating and being transparent, and when you do have it, it allows for all involved to be more effective in doing their job,” he said.

• Being a good listener. “To be a good Supervisor, you need to be a listener, whether it's from your board, your Department Heads or your employees, it is a must,” he said.

• Finally, Miller said the supervisor needs to be the “ROCK” for the employees and the Board and the citizens of the community. “When you are in a position of leadership, you have to understand the highs and lows, the ups and downs, and the peaks and valleys that can occur in any given moment. To be a successful leader you need to stay flatline and not become overcome with the decisions that have to be made at sometimes a moment’s notice. You need to be there for all and listen and communicate with all parties involved to provide fair outcomes,” Miller said.

The candidate said he felt one of his greatest accomplishments was his first bridge construction project where he worked as supervisor.

“What a feeling to come in and demolish a structure of steel and concrete, that spans a river, and thousands of people travel everyday, then to proceed with re-building a new and improved structure with a life span of 80 to 100 years. It gives you a true sense of accomplishment and a feeling that you can take on anything that life throws at you,” Miller said.

The candidate has been placing election signs, and his campaign will also be using the digital billboard near Lowes on Route 56 to ask the voters to choose him for the job. He will also be buying advertising in this publication and handing out flyers.

Miller is campaigning on the philosophy “Part-time job, full-time commitment, boots on the ground 24/7!”