Town Council:
DANIEL J. GASHLER
Truck driver, farmer, union leader and teacher—these are some of the occupations which have shaped our country, and made it run and prosper—and Dan Gashler, new candidate for town council in Delhi, has done them all. Today, he’s a professor of history at SUNY Delhi.
As a decade-long resident of the town, Gashler has a closeup view of his local government. “Since I came here ten years ago, I’ve been active in the community,” says Dan. “I like the cooperative way our village and town governments have been working recently; I’d like to help preserve and build upon that.”
One way Gashler hopes to do this is by increasing affordable housing. Gashler points to the new businesses which continue to sprout up and succeed in Delhi.
“This makes affordable housing more critical than ever for the people who work here,” he says.
Three two-story apartment buildings on Phoebe Lane are already in the planning stage. Described as “workforce housing” by builders Clark Company and promising to offer a specific number of dwellings to address the housing shortage in Delhi, the project has been approved by the Delaware County Planning Board but also must be approved by the Delhi village planning board. The project will be addressed during a public meeting on August 5.
“This is exactly the kind of housing we need,” says Gashler. “And at the Delhi Planning Board meeting, residents will be able to weigh in on the project.” Gashler notes that village and town meetings are open to public comment — something he takes pride in. He urges that same kind of cooperation and transparency in county government.
Dan is looking forward to participating in discussions about negotiating a more equitable distribution of sales tax revenues, especially those generated by Delaware County’s tourism industry. Tourism is becoming DelCo’s number one industry, but the towns and villages which attract tourists through events and “main street” business activity do not share in the sales tax which heads straight into the County budget. Since late 2024, Delhi has been in discussion with the leaders of other villages in Delaware County and drawn up a proposal for a share of this sales tax revenue.
“I anticipate it will still be a subject for discussion after the election, and I’d like to be part of that discussion.”
One of Gashler’s prize projects is “Open Catskills”, an organization he co-founded with fellow Delco residents Mina Takahashi, Sangeeta Pratap, and Esther Lee, to help immigrants integrate into the community.
“I have seen what immigrants can do for a community,” he said. “I grew up in a Wisconsin dairy town hollowed out by Reagan’s disastrous outsourcing policies. An influx of immigrants arrived in the 90s, and now that town is vibrant with new businesses and new energy.”
In Delhi, Gashler points out, recent immigrants are now taxpayers who hold jobs in many different sectors.
“We want opportunity for all,” he says. “Welcoming immigrants doesn’t just help them, it helps all of us.” Once elected, Gashler hopes to serve on the Highway and Personnel committees, putting his years as a dump truck driver and union leader to use. With two school-aged children, he’s also tuned into the improvements in recreation in his town.
Gashler points to the recently completed Delhi community pool —and today, under discussion is an expansion to the pool area.
“Several improvements are already underway,” he says. “One is to landscape the area to connect park to pool, and to create a pavilion for events, and a concession stand. Another slightly more controversial idea is to rent out the pool for events when it is not being used for open swim. Both options could possibly add to the town revenue, so I’ll be watching and listening closely. If I am in office when it comes up for a final vote, the decision will greatly depend on what our residents feel.”