2 candidates backed for election in Albion to fill spot on Village Board

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 January 2021 at 8:45 pm

Joe Martillotta and Zack Burgess will be on ballot in March 16 election

Photos by Tom Rivers: The Republican Party backed Joe Martillotta, left, and Democrats picked Zack Burgess as their candidate in the March 16 election.

ALBION – The Democrats and Republicans each picked their candidate this evening for the March 16 village election.

Both parties held a caucus at 7 p.m. to select a candidate to fill the remaining three years of a trustee position on the Village Board. The position $6,370 a year.

The trustee position became vacant when Kevin Sheehan resigned to take the job as Albion’s code enforcement officer.

Both parties had a low turnout this evening with less than 10 people. Democrats picked Zack Burgess and Republicans nominated Joe Martillotta.

Burgess, 31, works for Bentley Brothers at inside sales. He also has been very active in the Rock the Park music festival at Bullard Park. He serves as co-chairman of the event which has been renamed as the Albion Summer Festival. Last year’s event was cancelled due to Covid-19. Burgess and the organizers are hoping this year’s festival with many bands can happen the first Saturday in August.

Through that event, Burgess said he has worked with many village officials and community members. He also is a member of the Albion Lions Club.

“I want to do anything I can to improve the quality of life in the village,” Burgess said.

He was backed by Democrats at the caucus which was held at the Pullman Memorial Universalist Church.

His father, Phil Burgess, made a motion to support Zack, which was seconded by his mother, Lynn. Phil works for Kodak and Lynn has a hair salon at her home on West Park Street.

Zack lives on Hamilton Street.

Joe Martillotta, 69, was backed by the Republicans at a caucus on the second floor of the Albion Visitors Center. Martillotta retired in 2009 after 36 years as a high school social studies and economics teacher.

He and his wife Debbie did extensive renovations of 469 East State St. and opened the Crooked Door Tavern on Jan. 31, 2011. It was his dream of owning a restaurant and bar. They operated the business for more than three years, selling it in April 2014.

Martillotta lives on North Main Street and owns other properties in the village.

“I’ve been paying taxes for years in the village – lots of them,” he said.

He has long advocated for shrinking the size of local government through consolidation. That is an issues he wants to explore.

“We should do it,” he said about dissolutions or consolidations. “Do we really need 15 highway superintendents in Orleans County?”

Each of the 10 towns, four villages and the county all have an elected or appointed superintendent of highways or the DPW.