Tancak leaving future in hands of Cloverdale voters

For the better part of two months, Brandon Tancak has been a political ghost.

Having resigned his seat on the Cloverdale Town Board, which has since been filled through a Republican caucus, the former Town Board President's name remains on the May 5 primary ballot. 

And, while his name remains on the ballot, Tancak maintains he has suspended his campaign publicly. However, he wants to remind voters he is still a candidate with experience and a record. Tancak is facing a challenge from Daphne Rutenberg for Ward 3 seat in Cloverdale. 

"I received a lot of phone calls, text messages, any form of communication the days following my resignation. I know I let a lot of people down in the community and the county and that is very evident by the amount of support I have received after everything is said and done. I went on a Spring Break vacation, open my emails and the amount of support is still overwhelming. I realize the impact that has happened and I hear it loud and clear. I will say this, whatever happens in May, happens in May. For the record, I will say whatever happens in May, I will cross that bridge when and if it comes to fruition at that point," Tancak told The Putnam County Post. 

Tancak said it is a "very valid question" why voters should vote for him considering all that has transpired since he resigned in March. 

"Look at the track record. Look at the progress we have made over the last five or six years, as a whole. It is not a Brandon Tancak, look at what he has done for the Town of Cloverdale thing. We are a council, made up of five members. If we don't get a unanimous decision on something, then something doesn't happen. If people are uncertain when it comes to the May primary or the general in November, I would ask the public to do this, look at the facts, do your homework, cast your judgement based on those. Don't go off of what you see on social media or a headline you see. Do your homework, get informed and look at the track record and progress the last five or six years," he said. 

As for his record, Tancak said it is one he is proud to stand on.

"We had a great team. The five council members, the utility workers who work around the clock, it is a genuine team effort. Look at what our vision was, and that groundwork does not need to stop. We did some great things and laid some great groundwork that cannot be stopped for future success," Tancak said. 

Tancak said that success includes helping to put Cloverdale on the map, literally and figuratively, and helped the town bring in around $15 million in grants. 

"We put a lot of emphasis over the last several years to put infrastructure in the ground to prepare the area for future growth. We know it is a matter of time when the first new business comes in and will create a snowball impact. If you go back five or six years, we had 12 to 15 sizeable, impactful projects that had costs of over $15 million. Of those, $10 million was paid for by grants and other funding. The town only paid for about $5 million. People say Cloverdale isn't financially sound and safe, and I will tell those people they are incorrect and haven't paid attention. When you take those amounts of projects and that dollar figure and it was almost $5 million out of pocket, Cloverdale is financially sound and safe. Why would we not use grants for those projects? There is a lot of planning that took place," he said. 

However, Tancak said that despite all the success, he and his family were the victim of personal attacks that became a driving force in him resigning his council seat and suspending his campaign. 

"Back in January, the Cloverdale Township Trustee and the Fire Chief approached the town council asking us to approve the process for a 12.5 percent property tax increase for residents that live within the Cloverdale town limits. The clerk-treasurer and town council asked for more financial data to our February meeting and we did not have enough information at our January meeting to make a decision," Tancak said.

He said at the February meeting, the board garnered more information prior to the council meeting. 

"There was a lot of discussion leading up to that meeting, and during our February meeting, it was good dialogue during our meeting and very professional. There were a lot of good questions asked, and there was open and honest discussion. The timing could not have been worse. It is an election cycle, but, more importantly, we go back at look at Senate Enrolled Act 1 and the town of Cloverdale is going to be negatively impacted financially from the state. It is out of our control, but we are the ones left to deal with it. Coming to the town asking for a 12.5 percent increase is bad timing," he continued. 

Despite that, there was still a possibility of working out a deal, until things blew up on social media.

"Between that January and February meeting, social media blew up that the town, namely Brandon Tancak, did not support the fire department. The town and Brandon Tancak absolutely supports our first responders, and that was never in question. It was being portrayed on social media that we and I did not. We go back to the February meeting, we had open dialogue and heard from a lot of people and at the end of the day, one council member made a motion that did not garner a second. I asked three times if there was a second and it never got it, so I had to kill the motion to move the meeting along. The opportunity was there, but the council chose not to move forward with the proposal. Those are the facts. After that meeting, the town and Brandon Tancak was getting torn apart on social media. We let social media win, get the best of us and it impacted our every day routine and our safe space. That is where I personally messed up, and I have gotten rid of the chatter pages, and life is better without certain forms of social media. In March, I made a statement and the keyboard warriors and heroes started tearing the council and Brandon Tancak apart, and I walked into the house and talked with my family and decided enough had been said online. I made the decision to do what was best for my family and what was best for the town of Cloverdale, and that was stop the divide and limit the impact on the good that was done. I made the decision to eliminate myself from the equation," Tancak said. 

Tancak said he understands some may think he "quit" on the town and didn't fulfill his obligations with his first term.

"I had to do what I thought was best for the town because of the backlash the town was receiving over the fire territory proposal. I had to do what was best for my family. If someone wants to fault me for doing what's best for my family, maybe shame on them and I don't need their support to begin with. Family should always come first, no matter what we are talking about. Family, myself and the town of Cloverdale is how I operated on a daily basis. I missed a lot of family events because I was in meetings for the Town of Cloverdale, or had to clock out of work for Cloverdale town business. I genuinely care about the Town of Cloverdale, tried to be informed and make executive decisions and speak about them in public, and it came at a cost, and that cost, unfortunately, was time with my family. I realize I let some people down, and I am sorry, but not sorry that I chose my family first," Tancak said. 

And, he said he has learned lessons about himself and how to deal with "naysayers" moving forward. 

"I always wanted to make people happy, but we always had those naysayers that nit picked everything and tore us down. It makes you wonder if it is truly worth it. Those naysayers, let them run their mouths on social media. Lesson learned on my behalf," Tancak said. 

Now, he hopes to have another opportunity to continue those lessons he has learned. 

"I don't want to see what has been done halted because that won't be good for the town. I am still on that ballot, and, as a voter, you have a right to vote for whoever you want. Whatever happens in May will happen in May, and I will cross that bridge one way or another. I am not done with politics. I had said I would take some time off, and if I am granted it, I am going to take it and see what is next and see how I can make a positive impact. Brandon Tancak isn't done by any means," Tancak said.