About Us

Meet Shawn Raymond and Ben Baskin

Shawn Raymond and Ben Baskin are candidates for the two open trustee positions on the Village of Ballston Spa Board. The election will be held on Tuesday, March 16th. They are running as a team under the A Better BSpa banner.

Shawn has successfully served as Village Trustee over the past four years and is running for re-election. He has been a key member of the team that has balanced the Village’s books and brought it in line with generally accepted accounting principles. Ben is a long-time community volunteer who is running to join Shawn on the Village Board.

Let’s Keep Moving Forward

If you like the direction the Village is heading, vote for the team that helped get us to where we are today. Fiscally responsible government, more grant dollars to improve streets and infrastructure – Let’s stick with what’s been working! In the next year the Village will be creating a new Comprehensive Plan and revising its zoning. Shawn and Ben, and the entire BSpa team, are committed to promoting smart growth while preserving village character and protecting neighborhoods. They care about what you care about. They are people you know, people you can trust.

"I can't think of two better candidates to move Ballston Spa forward"

Liz Kormos

Shawn Raymond

Twenty-two years ago, I moved to Ballston Spa and shortly thereafter started my career in civil engineering, then shortly after that started a family. All this seemed the natural thing to do here in this village because of the people, places and character of Ballston Spa. The charm of a village atmosphere, where you actually know your neighbors made Ballston Spa the natural choice to put down roots in this “village of friends.” So, since the village welcomed me, I decided that I should give something back.

I began by speaking out when the there was talk by the Education Board of closing the historical Malta Avenue Elementary School. I volunteered for the task force created by the board to pursue alternatives, which ultimately ended in renovating and expanding Malta Ave. instead of closing it and building Gordon Creek Elementary. I then became a board member of FANs of Ballston Spa, an organization with a goal to build an interactive, all-inclusive playground in Kelley Park. With friends and neighbors, and some of my engineering expertise, we were able construct the playground in four months. I then ran for Village Trustee and eventually won. Fast forward fours years later, along with a change in administration and staffing, the village finances are in better shape than they have been in recent history, with the village not habitually operating at a deficit and in the black.

My re-election, and the election of Ben Baskin, will allow us to keep moving forward with our goals to: PRESERVE village character, PROMOTE smart growth, PROVIDE fiscal responsibility and PROTECT village services and infrastructure.

Ben Baskin

Ben Baskin has the experience, skills and values to help ensure that Village government works effectively on your behalf. He has 30 years of experience as a successful non-profit administrator, grant writer and community planner, a Master’s of Public Health, and a Certificate in Non-Profit Management. His deep and long-standing commitment to the Village is amply demonstrated through his extensive volunteer work, begun when he, his wife and two children first moved to the Village 17 years ago.

Ben’s experience includes:

Financial Management: As Executive Director of the Stillwater Area Community Center, Ben took an organization that was $50,000 in the red and within two years created a $100,000 fund balance. When he was Treasurer of the Ballston Area Community Center (BACC), Ben redesigned the Board’s budget reports to reduce errors and make them easier to understand. He knows how to balance budgets, maximize limited resources, and implement fiscal controls.

Securing Grants: Ben has written dozens of successful grant proposals over the years. He is particularly proud of the $100,000 in grant money he raised for BACC’s first playground. As a Trustee, Ben will use his grant writing skills to bring additional dollars to the Village, money which might be used towards improving street safety, repairing infrastructure, developing downtown, and improving public services.

High Quality Services: Throughout his career, Ben has been responsible for delivering high quality services to seniors, children, and families. Whether executive director of a community center, supervisor of enrollment at a senior health agency, or division director of a community action agency, Ben has made customer satisfaction a priority. Through experience and study Ben has become familiar with the principles of customer service and quality control. He will bring his focus on customer satisfaction and quality services to Village government.

Bringing people together: In his professional career Ben has led six community planning efforts, most focused on improving life for seniors and caregivers. In each community he brought people together to identify unmet needs and implement solutions. In Ballston Spa, Ben organized over 60 volunteers to build the BACC playground, saving BACC over $30,000. Ben was also a key leader of Smart Growth Ballston, which brought people together to stop big box development on the border of the Village.

Volunteer Experience: Ben’s volunteer work reflects his deep commitment to Ballston Spa. It includes: President and Treasurer Ballston Area Community Center’s Board; Board member of Ballston Spa Education Foundation; President of Smart Growth Ballston; member of Town of Ballston Planning Board and Clean Energy Committee, and volunteer for Friends of the Kayaderosseras, BARC and the Saratoga Animal Shelter. Ben also served on the Ballston Parks and Rec Committee and the Ballston Spa Central School District Facilities Planning Team.

Ben shares your values: Ben believes in open, inclusive, and responsive government that works in partnership with residents. He believes in the efficient use of tax dollars to deliver high quality services, and accountability for every dollar spent. He believes in “Smart Growth,” which stresses preserving village character and promoting walkable neighborhoods. And he believes in investing in organizations and activities that build a strong sense of community.