GREECE, N.Y. -- One of the largest towns in New York State is about to elect a leader.

Retired police officer Jim Leary is looking to unseat incumbent Greece Town Supervisor and Monroe County GOP chair Bill Reilich, who has held the office since 2014.

Leary switched his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat for the race.

“I’m challenging the old established way," Leary said. "When it’s one party, one person, pulling all the strings, I don’t think it’s good for a town of our size.”

The nearly 100,000 residents of Greece also face some sizable issues, like Lake Ontario flooding.

Leary says the town could have done more to help residents, but Reilich says he reached across party lines to work with Governor Cuomo on streamlining relief efforts. He says he also spoke with Vice President Mike Pence about urging President Trump to fill vacancies on the IJC board.

“Whether that’s taken to the president, to the governor, to the county executive, to whomever it may be, we’re going to keep up that fight until we get this under control because I fear for our residents,” Reilich said.

Relich says he also listens to residents in building new amenities like a spray park and playground.

“All of these are demands that the community said, ‘This is what we need,' and we provided for them – at the same time, not raising taxes,” Reilich said.

Leary says it’s wasteful spending done with insufficient public input.

“They just spent $675,000 on a playground at town hall," Leary said. "Was there any public discussion? Did anybody really want it? Was that the appropriate amount to spend? I want to open up government for the people.”

He says he’s frustrated not only by Reilich’s decisions but by his leadership style – which he says is prone to controversies like the I-Square debacle.

“Mr. and Mrs. Nolan did not deserve that type of criticism from Chairman Reilich," Leary said. "Made the Town of Greece look terrible, all over politics. I want to get that out of the system.”

Leary says he became a target when Reilich described him as “just a police officer.”

“I was hurt," Leary said. "And I know a lot of other police officers were hurt because I got many phone calls and emails. So I think it’s very disrespectful.”

Reilich says the comment does not reflect his feelings on law enforcement.

“I have the utmost respect for the law enforcement officials," Reilich said. "One person took it personal because it exposed a weakness that now he wants to lead one of the largest towns but through 30 years has never been successful to reach the rank of sergeant or anything above where he started out. And that’s all that comment was indicating.”

Leary also criticizes Reilich’s other role as Monroe County GOP Chairman, saying the town supervisor should be fully focused on running Greece.

But Reilich says wearing multiple hats is a strength.

“Everyone has outside commitments," Reilich said. "I’ve worked at this pace all my life. I’m not sure if he’s used to that, maybe he is. But I know what I’m used to: Putting in long days.”

And in only a few days, Greece residents get to make their choice.