Burke's win was 1 step at a time

Burke's win was 1 step at a time

By Chris McKenna
Times Herald-Record
cmckenna@th-record.com

Woodbury – He started knocking on doors back in June to collect signatures to run for supervisor. Later, after he'd turned in his petitions, he kept going, testing if enough people really wanted him to run.
"They kept encouraging me to keep walking," John Burke said.
He stopped his travels on Monday, having hit 1,800 homes in the town by his reckoning. The next day, voters went to the polls and made the retired high school principal Woodbury's new supervisor, giving him almost 150 votes over the incumbent, Sheila Conroy.
Yesterday, Burke was fielding calls of congratulations and placing his own to thank supporters. He hadn't spoken yet to Conroy, who has occupied the supervisor's office for four years and was the town Planning Board chairwoman and a councilwoman before that.
Burke said he'd been hopeful on Election Day when he saw the large turnout. He attributes much of that turnout and his support to the Town Board's vote last week to approve zoning changes for a 451-home project that has roiled town politics.
"It certainly got people's attention," said Burke, who had helped lead opposition to the housing proposal. "It certainly left a bad taste in people's mouths."
Burke had vowed before the election to push for the repeal of those zoning changes if elected. But two Conroy allies won board seats on Tuesday and preserved their side's majority, making that repeal goal problematic.
Indeed, being in the minority on a 3-2 board could make Burke's two-year term tricky, especially after the emotional campaign he just fought. One thing he said he wants to do first is reconsider the firms that the Town Board has been using as its legal and engineering consultants.
Burke acknowledges the difficulty he'll face being in a board minority. But he says of his future colleagues, "I plan to work with them, and I hope they'll work with me."