The race for Amherst town supervisor could be anyone’s game. And that’s surprising.

Barry A. Weinstein, a physician and fixture in town and county government, was easily regarded as the favorite six months ago. A poll in April by Barry Zeplowitz & Associates showed him with 39 percent support, compared with Alice J. Kryzan’s 23 percent.

A lot has changed since then. Kryzan, an environmental lawyer, now carries the Democratic, Independence and Working Families endorsements, guaranteeing her three lines on the ballot for next Tuesday’s election. Weinstein has only the Republican line.

In Amherst, 40 percent of residents are registered Democrats, and 36 percent are registered Republicans. Independence Party voters account for 4 percent of the electorate, and 18 percent are unaffiliated.

William L. Kindel, the third candidate in the race, holds the Conservative Party line.

Kryzan has collected more than a half-dozen other organization and union endorsements since entering the race and comes across as an energetic candidate with strong name recognition from her high-profile congressional race against Republican Chris Lee last year.

Weinstein, meanwhile, has a long history of support in Amherst, running without a serious opponent for most of his time in the Erie County Legislature and receiving the most votes as one of seven Town Board candidates in 2007.

He frames the race for supervisor as that of a cost-conscious and independent leader with both knowledge and experience versus an inexperienced newcomer who will need on-the- job training.

“We cannot afford another inexperienced supervisor,” he said in a recent candidate forum.

Kryzan sees the race as someone willing to make a full-time commitment and bring in fresh energy and ideas versus a longtime politician making the same old mistakes.

“Amherst can’t afford any more of Barry’s budget ‘experience,’ ” she said in a news release last week.

Despite the gloves-off rhetoric that has surfaced in recent days, this closely watched race has been remarkably quiet overall.

Unlike past years in which candidates spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in the race for the supervisor’s seat, Kryzan’s and Weinstein’s spending, combined, may not break the six-figure mark.

Kryzan said she has raised and intends to spend about $30,000, while Weinstein said he has raised about $12,000 and is supplementing that by writing checks to his own campaign. He said he expects to spend about $50,000 altogether.

Weinstein has carved out his message by promoting his independent voting record, fiscal conservatism and experience in public service at school district, town and county levels. He also said that as supervisor, he would not propose a budget with a tax increase.

He also said he has saved the town more than $5 million during his two years as a board member by working to reduce health insurance premiums, refinancing the reconstruction of North Bailey Avenue and promoting a buyout incentive this year for town employees.

“I think I appeal to the voters who don’t want to see their taxes go up,” he said.

Finally, Weinstein said he supports a referendum to downsize the Town Board from seven members to five.

Kryzan has attacked Weinstein’s platform by linking him with budget failures in the public and private sectors. She said he voted for numerous tax increases as a Williamsville School Board member and associated him with the county budget failures during the administration of County Executive Joel A. Giambra, as well as current budget tensions in Amherst.

She also pointed out that Weinstein served as vice chairman of the failed Clarencebased Waterford Village Bank in Clarence.

Finally, she questioned whether Weinstein could be a full-time supervisor when he intends to keep his home-based medical practice.

“His patients should and must come first,” Kryzan said. “I will put the people of Amherst first.”

Regarding his medical practice, Weinstein said he works only 15 hours a week now. He has not taken a new patient in a decade and does not make any hospital rounds, he said.

If elected supervisor, Weinstein said, he would reduce his practice further and start his hours earlier.

“And if I can’t do it, I can’t do it,” he said of his medical practice.

In response to the other criticisms, Weinstein said he that while he was a School Board member, state aid for Williamsville schools dropped from 50 percent to 20 percent. He also said Williamsville schools ranked highest in the region during his School Board service.

He said he never voted for a county budget that raised taxes and agreed that the Amherst budget process, which is controlled by the supervisor, needs to be improved.

Weinstein said he invested in Waterford Village Bank to support the local economy and was only one of the board members. He resigned from the board in February because of “differences of opinion with other board members and management.”

He also said he invested $250,000 with the bank, as well as some retirement funds, and served as a volunteer.

“I took no money from the bank,” he said, “and I lost my entire investment.”

As a candidate with a short political record, Kryzan has spent more time distinguishing herself by comparing herself with her opponent. She has stressed her intentions to be a “full-time supervisor” with “fresh energy and new ideas.”

She said she is nearly retired from her environmental law practice and is wrapping up one legal matter regarding wind farms in Chautauqua County. She also said she supports longer- term financial planning and redevelopment efforts.

Kryzan said that she is uncommitted on the Town Board downsizing question but believes that “it is not the most important and substantive reform we can make.”

Weinstein has responded to Kryzan’s campaign by repeatedly describing her as “inexperienced.” He said the town does not need another supervisor who has to learn on the job, referring to current Supervisor Satish B. Mohan’s difficulties in office.

Kryzan responded that she has come forward with a solid plan on how to improve the town’s budgeting process by adhering to the best budget practices recommended by the National Advisory Council on State and Local Budgeting.

She also said she intends to emphasize long-range planning and goal-setting as town supervisor and work more closely on development issues with the University at Buffalo.

Kindel’s platform involves a two-pronged approach to reducing town costs while preserving services.

The former Town Board member said he wants to hire a professional business manager to take politics out of the day-today operations of the town. Money for the position could come out of the budget lines for the supervisor’s office, he said.

He also said he wants to engage in public-private partnerships that could involve private leasing and management of the sewage-treatment plant, the compost facility, tax-collection services and Harlem Road Community Center.