Two political newcomers, Republican Barbara Jass and Democrat Gary Koutnik, are running to represent District 11 on the Otsego County Board of Representatives.

The winner will succeed Rep. Marti Stayton, D-Oneonta, who is not seeking re-election.

Jass, 43, who lives at 401 Main St., is an associate broker with Prudential Fox Properties.

"I work full time, but I have enough time to get involved and try to make a difference at the county level," she said. "If you want to make changes, you've got to get into the ring."

Jass said she has been studying Otsego County, learning what the job of representative entails.

"I've been going to meetings, reading board minutes, talking to people," she said, adding that her mother, Marlene Jass, is deputy mayor of Delanco, N.J.

"I've learned a lot from her experience, what I should expect, and I know this is more than a part-time job," she said.

Jass noted that when selling real estate, she sometimes has to reconcile differences of opinion between buyers and sellers, a skill that might help her as a county legislator.

"I respect other people's opinions and I think I work well in a group," she said.

Asked whether she believes the county needs a professional manager, Jass said, "I think it's something I would entertain, something I'd need to look at to see if it was fiscally responsible to go in that direction.

"If it makes sense to me and my constituents, if it would help us fiscally, I wouldn't say no," she said.

Jass said she also would consult constituents before deciding what the county should do with rubbish after it exits the Montgomery-Otsego-Schoharie Solid Waste Management Authority.

The issues of gas drilling and hydrofracking have flared up at county board meetings this year, and Jass said mineral rights leases that permit gas drilling are affecting the real estate market, as well.

Sometimes gas leases hurt, and other times, help property values, she said. Ultimately, the market will answer questions of value, she said.

Jass said she respects people's rights to safeguard their drinking water through local rules.

"Without safe drinking water, we wouldn't have a city," she said.

Koutnik, 60, retired director of special education for Oneonta City School District, said he's running for the board "because I'm a fan of democracy and I'd like to contribute."

Asked about problems facing Otsego County, Koutnik, who lives at 105 Center St., said he is studying them, talking to people. "I've been to a few board meetings to see what goes on and I've been reading the minutes of committee meetings, where it seems the real work is done," he said.

Among the big issues is hydrofracking, the injection of millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals into natural gas wells to stimulate production, he noted.

Koutnik said regulators need to be guided by scientific research, such as the Environmental Protection Agency's pending study on hydrofracking.

The presence of enormous gas reserves in this area is tempting, but if it seems health risks outweigh the energy benefits, and the state doesn't go forth with horizontal drilling "I think we have to ask ourselves how we're going to make up for not using the gas," he said. "I think we have a responsibility to conserve, to use less and to develop solar, wind and hydro sources.

"If we don't drill in New York State, I hope no one thinks the fight is over, because we're still using more energy every day," he said. "We still have fundamental problems."

Asked whether the county needs a manager, Koutnik said he believes in long-range strategic planning, and believes the board should focus on that, rather that day-to-day management.

"Among the phrases I've learned in my administrative career is `the urgent always trumps the important,"' he said.

"It's true in a business, a church, an organization and a family, a crisis always takes precedence, but if no one is planning ahead, saying where do we want to be in two, five, 10 years, we're just floating around.'