The following are candidates running for various positions in the town of Concord. Voting will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Attempts were made to contact each candidate for their bio. The following were received by the Springville Journal:



Gary A Eppolito

Gary A. Eppolito of Springville is a candidate for re-election as supervisor for the town of Concord.

Eppolitio has the endorsement of the Republician, Conserative and Independent parties. He has lived in Concord since 1971 with his wife Carolyn.

Eppolito is a retired educator and worked for West Valley Central School for 33 years. He holds a BS from Gannon University and a MA from SUNY Fredonia.

Eppolito has been involved with the Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Board, the Dairy Festival Committee, the Springville/Concord Task Force and the Advisory Board of Genesee Community College at the Arcade campus.

Eppolito was a village of Springville trustee from 1994 -1997 and held the position of Springville mayor from 1997-2006. Since 2006 he has been the incumbent Concord supervisor. He has also spent many years involved in church and the community.

Eppolito plans to maintain a solid base by holding the line taxes and ensure that Concord continues to grow, utilizing “smart growth” concepts. He plans on making sure the county and state be responsible for monitoring Concord’s roads and bridges without placing additional financial burdens on the town.

If elected, his goals include improving services for senior citizens, revising Concord’s master plan and working with the village to combine more services where feasible. His goals also include completing the Cattaraugus Street water district, adding transportation opportunities for southtowns residents and creating a soil and water district for Southern Erie County.

Eppolito presently serves as treasurer of the Association of Erie County Governments. He is the chairman of the Southtowns Planning and Development Group, chairman of the Town of Concord IDA and a member of the ECIDA Leadership Council.



Mary E. Bolt

Beth (as she prefers to be called) was elected town clerk for the town of Concord and began her term in January 1982. Two years prior to that, she was appointed deputy town clerk. Bolt also serves as the tax collector for the town of Concord and county of Erie. Other “hats” she wears are registrar for the town and the village of Springville, records management officer, Freedom of Information officer, registered municipal clerk, a notary public, and both she and her deputy act as passport agents. Bolt also issues marriage, conservation and dog licenses and also handicapped parking permits for the village.

Bolt has lived in the town for the past 33 years. She has three children: Vince III (Jen), Jason and Cori with four grandchildren – Andrew (13), Devon (6), Paige (3 weeks) and the fourth due in March. Bolt considers herself very lucky because two of her grandchildren live nearby, allowing her to spend lots of time with them.

Membership in different organizations include: Erie County Town Clerk’s Association (past president and also honored as Erie County Town Clerk of the Year 2000); Erie County Tax Receivers and Collectors (past vice president and secretary); district director for the New York State Town Clerk’s Association; New York Association of Local Government Records Officers; treasurer for the Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Women’s Association (holding that office for the past 27 years); secretary for the Springville Firemen’s Ladies Auxiliary (past eight years and other offices); Concord Red Hatters and a member of a local craft club.

Bolt’s previous experience was as a secretary to a medical group and, as a stay-at-home mom raising her family, she typed insurance forms for a doctor’s office and billing for a local hospital’s emergency room.

Whenever she finds any spare time, Bolt enjoys crafting, reading, sewing, gardening, walking and of course, spending time with her grandchildren. She likes to travel and would one day like to visit Ireland.



Dennis M. Dains

Dennis Dains is the incumbent town of Concord highway superintendent running for re-election after serving four years in his present post and 10 years in the Highway Department. Prior to that, he was in the private sector for 12 years, working on road and bridge construction and maintenance. Dains also has many years of knowledge and experience in mechanical repairs and fabrication, governmental purchasing and procurement policies and of course the highway department budget which he has balanced for four consecutive years.

The highway superintendent has control over the repair and maintenance of all town owned roads and bridges and given the current economic climate, this is no easy task.

Dains believes the top issues in the town today are maintaining existing services provided by the highway department. He says that oil prices have a large impact on just how much road repair and maintenance can be accomplished annually because the price fluctuates monthly and attention has to be given to the oil index which also affects the cost of fuel for the town’s motor equipment. In addition, salt prices for winter road maintenance have gone up annually. Salt usage is constantly monitored throughout the winter months.

Dains’ priorities include sound responsible budgets; preventative maintenance for safe roads; an aggressive oil and chip program; pavement crack seal programs; keeping road shoulders mowed; ensuring the snow plows are ready for use and on the road when needed; working with the men in the highway department; and responding to the questions and needs of the residents when called upon.

Dains, 53, is married and has the Republican, Conservative and Independence party endorsements and has lived in the town of Concord all his life. After attending the Springville-Griffith Institute, he continued his education in various programs including the Cornell Local Roads Program which provides training to municipal staff responsible for the maintenance, construction and management of local highways and bridges in New York state.

In addition to having served on the Springville Control Center Advisory Board, Dains also served on the Board of Directors of the Springville Volunteer Fire Company. He is also a 30-year member of the Springville Volunteer Fire Department. He has been the fire chief for 10 years and has been the president, vice president, recording secretary, first and third assistant chief over the years.

Asked if he would like to say anything about his run for re-election, Dains says, “During the past four years as highway superintendent, it has been a privilege to serve the town of Concord residents. I ask for your support in the upcoming election to continue to serve you into the future as your highway superintendent. Being involved in public safety for 30 years proves my dedication to this community. My priority is providing safe roads for the traveling public within the town of Concord”



Ed Perkins

Edward Perkins is a candidate for highway superintendent for the town of Concord and is endorsed by the Democrats. He is 54 and a lifelong resident of East Concord.

Perkins is an operating engineer and attended IOUE Training School for highway construction rehab and maintenance.

He has 20 plus years in the East Concord Fire Department with 10 years as truck captain. He has also worked for 15 years with the Kelly For Kids and Hunters Hope charities.

Perkins has experience as a former highway superintendent, with 30-plus years hands-on in road rehab, construction maintenance and snowplowing.

He also belongs to the building and truck committees for the East Concord Fire Department.

Perkins feels the issues facing the town of Concord today include the rising cost of services, health care and labor cost.

If he is elected highway superintendent, Perkins says he would hire enough people to safely do the maintenance, snowplowing and daily operations in the highway department. He would see that Concord’s roads were fixed rather than just covered with oil and stone and he would also re-valuate the highway department equipment.

Perkins will do what needs to be done for the safety of Concord’s residents and employees.

James A. Krezmien

Jim Krezmien, with Republican, Conservative and Independence party endorsements, is running for re-election to a seat on the Concord Town Board.

With over 24 years experience in Concord town government, Jim is board liaison to Dennis Dains, town of Concord highway superintendent, and also serves as deputy town supervisor.

Krezmien, 55, lives in the village of Springville with his wife Elaine. Jim is a Kent State University graduate. He is also president of Witter-Davis Furniture Co. in Springville.

Jim has held his seat on the Concord Town Board for the past 24 years and believes that the top issues facing the town and village today are taxes, job creation and the Route 219 extension through the town.

Asked what his goals are if re-elected to the Town Board, Krezmien says he will continue a strong voice in maintaining a stable tax base along with smart growth and continued good government and services to the town residents.



Leslie J. Gibbin

Local attorney Leslie J. Gibbin is running for re-election as Concord town justice in November. Gibbin was born and raised in Springville. After graduating from the Springville-Griffith Institute, she earned a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from Niagara University and a juris doctor from Ohio Northern University College of Law in Ada, Ohio.

Gibbin’s background brings her years of experience working for the law offices of James H. Gibbin, Esq., the Florida Department of Corrections as a probation/parole officer and court investigator, as well as a counselor and fiscal clerk for an early work release facility for inmates of Florida State Prison.

Gibbin maintains a general law practice in the village of Springville and is a member of the Erie County Bar Association, Cattaraugus County Bar Association and the New York State Public Defenders Association.

She is a member of the Springville Field and Stream, Women’s Order of the Moose, Springville VFW and Springville American Legion.

Gibbin’s most recent accomplishment is successfully completing the New York state emergency medical technician training and testing and becoming a member of the Springville Volunteer Fire Department.

In the past Gibbin has raised several puppies for Guiding Eyes for the Blind. She also enjoys skiing and has worked part-time at Kissing Bridge for many years.

“I will continue to maintain a strong sense of commitment to the community and uphold my high standards of integrity and impartiality in the court,” says Gibbin, who also continues to support involvement with the drug court programs, stop shoplifting programs, and other various rehabilitation and education programs that can be utilized by the court.

Gibbin is the daughter of Lucille A. Gibbin, a retired teacher who taught English for over 35 years at Springville-Griffith Institute, and the late James H. Gibbin, who maintained a law office in Springville for almost 51 years.



Bill Snyder

Councilman Bill Snyder is running for re-election to the Concord Town Council. He has been endorsed by the Republican, Independence and Conservative party lines.

Snyder, 30, is a manager with National Fuel Gas and has a bachelor of science degree in construction management from Alfred State College.

Married with three children, Snyder has lived in the town of Concord all his life and wants to continue in his position as a town councilman so that he can continue to contribute to the community and improve it for his children and all of the residents’ futures.

Snyder’s background brings years of experience supervising employees and managing contracts at National Fuel in addition to serving on many boards in the past. These include Alfred State College Student Senate, president; Alfred State College Council; Concord Zoning Board of Appeals; Concord Library Board of Trustees; Salem Lutheran Leadership Council; and the Joint Town/Village Consolidation Committee.

Current community involvement includes being a member of the West Valley Citizen Task Force.

“Controlling costs and holding the line on taxes continue to be a big challenge,” says Snyder, speaking of top issues that face the Town today. “It is not always easy to come up with new ways to cut expenses and make government operations more efficient.”

If elected, Snyder wants to continue to control costs and hold the line on taxes. “The taxpayers of this community can not and will not tolerate tax increases,” he says. “Everywhere we turn, costs are rising; our government must continue to be responsible and not contribute to these increases.”

Snyder says that working with the town board, other town departments, the village and the residents of this community has been a learning experience, a privilege and an honor.