Cochecton leadership challenge

Deputy supervisor appointment is a matter of interpretation

By FRITZ MAYER

LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — Tensions flared among the normally collegial Town of Cochecton lawmakers at the reorganization meeting at the town hall on January 5. At issue is who will become the deputy supervisor for 2009, thus filling in for supervisor Sal Indelicato until his term expires at the end of this year.

For 13 years the much-admired supervisor, a Democrat, appointed councilman Larry Richardson, also a Democrat, to the position of deputy supervisor. But Indelicato suffered a stroke in April 2008, and has since been unable to fulfill the tasks of his office, and was, therefore, not able to re-appoint Richardson.

This has left the board in a bit of a quandary. With the election of Ed Grund to the board in November 2008, the board now has two Republicans, Grund and Gary Maas, and two Democrats, Richardson and Daisy Smith. Maas, who also has long experience on the board, said he was interested in being appointed to the position.

The original resolution regarding the matter said that the board would appoint Richardson as deputy supervisor and Smith as second deputy supervisor. But knowing the matter was going to arise, Richardson, in advance, asked the town attorney, John Keating, for an opinion on the matter.

Keating told the board that the supervisor appoints the deputy supervisor unless the supervisor position is vacant, and in that case the board would make the appointment. But because Indelicato is considered absent from his role and the position is not vacant, Indelicato’s appointment from last year remains in place.

Maas asked to see the opinion in writing. Keating offered to go retrieve the relevant book, but Maas handed him a copy of a book containing town laws for New York State.

Keating located the relevant language, and it was read aloud by Maas. But the wording was somewhat vague and did nothing to persuade one side or the other as to whether the board should now appoint the deputy supervisor or Indelicato’s appointment from last year should prevail.

Maas said he would like an opinion from the New York State Association of Towns. The conversation grew a bit tense at times, for instance, when Smith said, “everything has changed.”

But Maas assured the residents in the audience that the town business would still function efficiently. In a reference to the ongoing turmoil among members of the Monticello board, he said, “We’re not going to make this a Village of Monticello-type situation.”

Ultimately, the board passed a resolution that asked Keating to come back with a written opinion so the board could address the matter again on January 14. However, the matter of consulting the association of towns was not written into the resolution and it’s not clear if Keating will do this.

In the meantime, no appointments were made to the two deputy supervisor positions. Richardson, however, was appointed budget officer allowing town bills to be paid.

No lawmaker was clear about what would happen if the stalemate went beyond the next meeting, but Richardson noted that this was the first serious disagreement the board had encountered in his experience, and he assured the audience that the town’s business would go forward.