W. Brook Harris of Alfred was elevated to the Allegany County Board of Legislators top position of chairman this afternoon, with Kevin (Fred) Demick of Angelica replacing him as vice-chairman. Legislator Steve Havey of Wellsville was re-designated by the all-Republican group of legislators as majority leader for 2023.
Last year’s chairm, Philip Stockin of Houghton, who nominated Harris to succeed him, was presented a plaque at the annual board organization meeting for service to the county during the past year.
Harris said that with the retirement of prior Board Chair Curtis W. Crandall in 2021, it was recognized that the county was facing a “challenging transition” and “needed someone equally strong, level-headed and of the utmost integrity” to assume the position, which Stockin was willing to do.
The new chairman, in a minute-and-a-half address accepting the position, said “the future of the county is bright” and “now is the time to build upon recent accomplishments.”
He encouraged legislators to “continue to govern with the same passion and with measured consideration of the true needs of our residents and always tempered by a responsibility to county taxpayers.”
Board committees appointed by Harris for the new year include:
Human Services: Janice Burdick of Alfred Station, chair; Jennifer Ricketts-Swales of Fillmore, vice-chair; and Adam Cyr of Bolivar, Gretchen Hanchett and Dwight (Mike) Healy of Belmont, Debra Root of Scio, and James Rumfelt of Andover.
Personnel: Rumfelt, chair; John Ricci of Cuba vice-chair; and Burdick, Hanchett, Havey, Ricketts-Swales and Root, with Ricci be a labor negotiations liaison.
Planning and Economic Development: Root, chair; Hanchett, vice-chair; and Gary Barnes of Wellsville, Philip Curran of Alfred Station, Havey, Ricci and Ricketts-Swales.
Public Safety: Havey, chair; Cyr, vice-chair; and Barnes, Demick, Healy, Rumfelt and Stockin.
Public Works: Dwight Fanton of Wellsville, chair; Demick, vice-chair; and Barnes, Curran, Cyr, Healy and Stockin, with a Special Space Needs Sub-Committee of Demick, chair; Healy, vice-chair; and Cyr, Fanton, Hanchett, Havey and Root.
Resources Management: Curran, chair; Cyr, vice-chair; and Barnes, Demick, Fanton, Hanchett and Ricketts-Swales.
Ways and Means: Stockin, chair; Root, vice-chair; and Burdick, Demick, Havey, Healy and Ricci, with a Budget Sub-Committee of Burdick, chair; Barnes, vice-chair; and Curran, Fanton, Ricci, Rumfelt and Stockin.
Rumfelt is replacing Ricci as chair of the Personnel Committee, with Ricci succeeding Hanchett as vice-chair; Cyr is replacing Rumfelt as vice-chair of the Public Safety Committee; Harris and Fanton, who were chair and vice-chair of the Ways and Means Committee are being replaced by Stockin and Root; and Burdick and Barnes are succeeding Harris and Healy as chair and vice-chair of the Budget Sub-Committee.
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