Scott-Childress: “… find solutions
and answers
KINGSTON – Mayor Steven Noble announced his decision to appoint Reynolds Scott-Childress to replace former Alderman Brad Will to represent the City of Kingston’s 3rd Ward on the Common Council. Noble’s decision was disclosed at a news conference held Tuesday afternoon.
Alderman Will resigned from office in a letter to Noble dated April 8, citing conflicts of interest with his architectural career.
Scott-Childress is a history professor at SUNY New Paltz, and served with the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee and the Kingston Land Trust. Noble said there were a dozen applicants for the position. The appointment is effective Wednesday.
“He’ll have to jump right in; there’s a lot of great work that has to be done,” the mayor said. “Rennie shares my vision for what the city has in store for the next 10 years; he’s going to do a really great job representing his neighbors.”
“I teach a lot about politics and history, so I’m really interested in taking my skills as a professor, those related to communications in particular, trying to get people to bring up their opposing ideas to find solutions and answers,” Scott-Childress said.
Asked what he thought made him stand out among the other applicants, Scott-Childress quipped, “I’m taller.” He also noted personal friendship with the mayor and several aldermen, including his predecessor, Brad Will.
Scott-Childress said he has not studied a lot of the issues.
“I don’t know the structural problems with the sinkhole, but we have lots of neighbors who talk to us about the problem,” Scott-Childress said. “Those kinds of issues I’m studying. I’m going to find out as much as I can. I’m going to talk to Brad; he’s a friend of ours, so he can bring me up to speed in terms of the details.”
The new alderman said he has “at least a layman’s understanding” of the issues.
