There are three candidates for the post of Amherst town supervisor being vacated by Satish Mohan.We recommend a vote for first-term Town Board Member Barry Weinstein.

Weinstein is the Republican candidate, running against Democratic candidate Alice Kryzan and William Kindel, a former Town Board member and the Conservative Party nominee.

Weinstein demonstrated a sound grasp of governance during his 10 years as a minority-party member of the Erie County Legislature and his service with the town, and long has been known for his independence and willingness to stand apart from party politics. As a legislator, Weinstein questioned former Erie County Executive Joel A. Giambra’s plan to “sell” the Erie County Medical Center. He is also known as an independent voice on an often contentious Amherst Town Board.

Weinstein, both a law school and medical school graduate, is campaigning on the idea of decreasing the size and cost of town government, holding the line on taxes and redeveloping older neighborhoods. He has said he would put up a referendum giving the people the chance to vote for a smaller board.

Weinstein, who maintains a diminishing medical practice but has not accepted new patients for years, would continue his push to reduce health care costs by encouraging competition. He also touts his achievement in saving the town a little more than a million dollars by obtaining state and federal aid for the North Bailey Avenue construction project.

Weinstein has a long public service record, including serving on the Williamsville School Board, which gives him a deep knowledge of his community. Given his independence and the attention he has demonstrated to the details of budgeting, he should be a good fit for town leadership in fiscally challenging times.

Kryzan is the other major candidate in this race, and this page endorsed her bid for Congress last year. She is motivated to seek public service, and as an experienced environmental lawyer she is capable of identifying and systematically changing structural deficits in many town operations. However, Kryzan would understandably need time to adjust from her role as concerned citizen, and seems better suited at this point to a legislative role.

Kindel brings long Town Board experience to his bid for office, but his campaign has been overshadowed by two strong contenders on the major-party lines.