GUILDERLAND — When the town’s long-time highway superintendent, Todd Gifford, a Republican, retired in December, the town board decided not to name a replacement from more than half-a-dozen applicants, but rather to wait for the November election.

Charles Cahill, a Democrat, was one of the finalists during the town board’s interview process to appoint a new highway superintendent.

Cahill recently retired as chief of operations for the Albany County Sewer District, and as chief of the Westmere Fire Department. He could not be reached for comment.

Steve Oliver, a Republican, was named deputy highway superintendent and has served in that post for the past six months. Oliver is also endorsed by the Conservative and Independence parties.

Oliver has worked in the highway department for 24 years; he started as a laborer and worked his way up to operator, foreman, and finally the deputy position.

“We’re in really good shape here,” Oliver said this week. “We have no major projects on the horizon, and we’re holding the line and doing more with less.” He said the department is staffed well, and the roads are marked well, and the town fared well with the floods from Tropical Storm Irene.

The main issue the highway department is facing is the rising cost of equipment, but, said Oliver, the town will be working on maintaining trucks and equipment rather than buying new.

“Pretty much all I’ve done is built roads, worked on projects, and used heavy equipment,” concluded Oliver. “I absolutely love the job and would be thrilled to keep doing it.”