CLIFTON PARK — Four Republican members of the Clifton Park Town Board will no longer receive support from their town party committee, according to GOP Chairman Robert Wilcox.

The cause of the rift is the appointment of John Ryan to the town’s Water Authority.

Wilcox said town Supervisor Philip Barrett and board members Tom Paolucci, Scott Hughes and Lynda Walowit will be on their own in future elections if they choose to run.

Wilcox said Ryan was the only candidate put forth for the appointment to the Water Authority.

“[The board] interviewed only one person and did not even post the vacancy on the Water Authority before making the appointment,” Wilcox said Friday.

The underlying issue is whether Clifton Park should join a Saratoga County water system that is under construction and will pipe water from the Hudson River from Moreau down the Northway corridor.

The town’s Republican Party is split on the issue, with the majority of the Town Board opposed to linking into the county system.

The Town Board is responsible for Water Authority appointments, and according to Clifton Park’s charter, the Water Authority will ultimately determine the source of water for its customers.

Barrett said although there was no posting of the vacancy on the Water Authority, it was “very public that somebody had resigned and we had an opening.”

He said he felt the issue had been “rehashed over and over and it would be counterproductive to continue talking about it.”

The night of Ryan’s appointment, Town Board members stated their position.

“There isn’t evidence the county system will be good for Clifton Park residents, and I’m not going to come out in support of it until I see otherwise,” Hughes said. “It’s been made clear to us [that] other members of the county Republican Party want us to fall in line with our support, but I won’t do that.”

Wilcox disagreed with Hughes’ characterization.

“The Republican Committee is extremely disappointed with the conduct of these elected officials and their blatantly self-serving statements,” Wilcox said.

He said a meeting of the town GOP was held Thursday and Town Board members were asked to attend and explain their actions. None attended the meeting.

“The committee is made up of rank-and-file Republicans and we represent the party. We have decided to bid [Barrett, Paolucci, Hughes and Walowit] adieu,” Wilcox said.

Ryan spoke out publicly against the Water Authority 11 years ago, questioning rates and asking why residents weren’t being taught about water conservation efforts.

However, contacted after his appointment, Ryan said he has “no personal or political agenda.”

“I have a very broad business background and will look at all the information presented to determine what’s best for the Clifton Park Water Authority customers,” Ryan said. “I don’t have enough information right now to make any decision about the county plan, so that’s what I’ll be studying and looking at when the authority meets.”

Longtime Town Board member Sandy Roth was ill the night Ryan was appointed, but he asked the board to delay the vote until he could be present.

Roth, who is the board’s liaison to the Water Authority, returned the following week to express his frustration, calling his colleagues “disgraceful and disrespectful.”

As to the loss of party support, Barrett said he has received past endorsements from Republican, Conservative and Independence parties in his races for office.

“I believe we have a good track record in office working together to provide good government,” Barrett said. “If the chairman feels the committee needs to go in another direction, so be it.”