Conesville Town Board to Appoint Highway Superintendent in January

 

On Tuesday afternoon the Schoharie News published a story on the Town of Conesville and their Highway Superintendent conundrum, which began on November 19th when the final count of absentee and affidavit ballots in the tight race between Democrat Stephen Young and incumbent Republican Larry Brandow resulted in each candidate receiving 154 votes apiece.

 

Since then we have received new information.

 

According to Conesville Supervisor-elect Bill Federice, who will take office in January, by New York State law the Town Board cannot appoint anyone to the Highway Superintendent position until the new board is seated, meaning that town residents are still in limbo over how their indecisive vote will effect the highway department and that the Deputy Superintendent will have to serve as interim head from the evening of December 31st until the board decides on someone in their organizational meeting.

 

But that still wont be the end of this saga, because state law requires any appointment to an elected town office to last only until the next regular election, which sets the stage for residents of Conesville to have their voices heard again on the Highway Superintendent position in a little more than eleven months and it also creates the potential for a electoral rematch between Mr. Young and Mr. Brandow, pending the board's final decision.

 

Although this process is long from over for the small town of 734 residents, at least we now have some of the blank spots filled in where they were previously question marks - with the notable exception being who will receive the temporary appointment in January - and to that question no-one knows except for the one Supervisor and four Councilmen who will vote on this pressing matter in just a few weeks.

 

Community Pipeline Meeting on Monday December 2, 2013 at 7PM inside of the Radez Elementary School Gym located on 319 Main Street, Richmondville, NY. The latest information on the proposed Constitution Pipeline from threats of eminent domain and legal efforts to landowner resistance and the pipeline company's safety record will be provided to the public. This advertisement is sponsored by the Center for Sustainable Rural Communities and the Stop the Pipeline Schoharie Action Committee