Judge Stephen Cass leads new Chautauqua County Legislators Tom Nelson and Travis Heiser through their oath of office. (January 3, 2023)

The Chautauqua County Legislature approved the appointment of two new Legislators at its organizational meeting Tuesday.

Legislators approved resolutions naming Tom Nelson and Travis Heiser to the body.

Nelson replaces Paul Whitford as the legislator for District 13 in the City of Jamestown. He thanked Whitford for his years of service, “He is a public servant in the truest sense of the word. So, we’ll miss Paul. And I’ve made a habit of following Paul politically because when he moved out of (City Council) Ward 6, there was a vacancy and Mayor (Sam) Teresi appointed me to that. And now with Paul leaving, there was a vacancy and it just worked out, so I’m happy to be here and to work with all of the other legislators.”

Nelson is a U.S. Government teacher in the Frewsburg Central School District.

Heiser replaces Jay Gould as the legislator for District 17 in the towns of Clymer, French Creek, Harmony and part of Busti.

Until last week, he was Clymer’s Town Supervisor for seven years and had served on the town board as well. Heiser said the Town Board will vote next week to appoint a new Supervisor from its members to serve out the last year of the term.

He said he has always been interested in local government, having lived in Chautauqua County for over 20 years, “I knew Jay Gould, who I am replacing, a little bit beforehand and had a kind of an inkling and knew that the committees were looking for when he was eventually going to resign. And so, they did come knocking at the door and it wasn’t totally unexpected and I did say yes.”

Heiser is currently the CEO of the Inner Lakes Federal Credit Union.

Nelson will serve on the Public Safety Committee with Heiser serving on the Public Facilities Committee.

Both new legislators plan to run for a full two-year term on the Legislature in the November General Election.

One resolution appoints Travis Heiser of Panama to replace Jay Gould as the legislator for District 17. Heiser is currently the Clymer Town Supervisor.

Another resolution appoints Tom Nelson of Jamestown to replace Paul Whitford as the legislator for District 13. Nelson previously served as the Ward 6 representative on Jamestown City Council.

The organizational meeting also will include the appointment of the Chair of the Legislature, majority and minority chairs; and the appointment of the Clerk and Deputy Clerk of the Legislature.

The meeting will take place at 4:00 p.m. in the Legislative Chambers of the Gerace Office Building. It is open to the public and will be livestreamed on the Chautauqua County Youtube page.

Chautauqua County Legislature Chairman Pierre Chagnon, County Legislator Jay Gould, County Executive PJ Wendel (December 21, 2022)

Longtime Chautauqua County Legislators Jay Gould and Paul Whitford were honored for their service at the County Legislature meeting Wednesday night as they both announced their retirement.

Jay Gould represents District 17 which covers the towns of Clymer, Panama, Harmony and Busti. His over 20 year tenure on the legislature began in January 2000. Gould also served as Chairman of the Legislature from 2012 to 2016. He served on the Human Services, Public Facilities, and Audit & Control Committees.

As a legislative representative, Gould also served on the Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board, Chautauqua County Soil and Water Conservation District Board, Southern Tier Railroad Authority, and Southern Tier West.

Gould thanked everyone and said he really enjoyed his time with the legislature, “I’d like to tell legislators – remember why you were sent up here. You were sent up here to watch your constituent’s money. That’s what you’re here for.”

Paul Whitford represents District 13 which covers the eastside of the City of Jamestown around UPMC Chautauqua. He first began to serve on the legislature on December 17, 2014. Whitford has served on the Administrative Services, Human Services, and Public Safety Committees. As a legislative representative, he also served on the Chautauqua County Land Bank Board of Directors, Chautauqua Opportunities Board, and Office for the Aging Advisory Council.

Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel said he’s known Whitford for over 20 years, “His exemplary service to the county, but also to the city of Jamestown on multiple boards and political positions he’s held. So, Paul has definitely been a tireless servant for the residents of Chautauqua County both at the city and county level. So again, very sad he won’t be with us anymore but I’m sure he’s going to be enjoying his retirement after many, many years of dedicated service to the residents.”

It is anticipated that the Legislature will vote at its January 3, 2023 organizational meeting to appoint the new legislative representatives of Districts 13 and 19.

Retiring County Attorney Stephen Abdella also was recognized and honored for his decades of service.

Abdella began as an Assistant County Attorney in 1988, working his way up to County Attorney in 1992. He held that position until 1997 and then again from 2006 to the present. He also served as the Legislative Attorney from 1999 to 2005 and then again from 2008 until the present. Abdella served as Acting County Executive twice in November through December of 2013 and 2019.

Wendel said there were a lot of daunting things to face when he became County Executive three years ago, “But, as it’s stated in the commendation, Steve was a very calming, very relaxed. And again, very thorough in any issues or problems we had that arose.”

Legislature Chairman Pierre Chagnon said legislators often turned to Abdella for questions about the past, “Steve would always have the answer. I always referred to him as the ‘Corporate Memory’ because he remembered so much about county operations over such a long span of time. And he was so quick with the recall and so willing to share that it was invaluable to us as legislators in our considerations and deliberations.”

Abdella unfortunately was unable to attend the meeting as he was sick.

First Assistant County Attorney Pat Slagle has been appointed to take over as County Attorney on January 1, 2023.

Chautauqua County Legislature (April 27, 2022)

The Chautauqua County Legislature approved a gas sales tax reduction by a vote of 12 to 6 Wednesday night.

The resolution sets a fixed rate per gallon at 12-cents. Legislators had expressed concerns over how the sales tax reduction would affect local municipalities. Legislator Jay Gould said his district has some poor towns, “And the Finance Department made us a list. And I got the list tonight. And my four towns will be losing $1,400 worth of sales tax and I don’t feel that’s enough to cripple them, so I will be voting in favor of the gas tax.”

Legislator Lisa Vanstrom said she was voting no on the resolution, calling it a public safety issue with how roads and bridge repairs depend on funding from the gas sales tax. She added that the resolution doesn’t guarantee a consumer cost reduction, “Reducing or capping this motor fuel tax will not guarantee a lower price at the pumps because the retailers have the ultimate choice of setting the price. So even if we’re kind and gracious enough to understand the need of a consumer for a break, it may not result in anything at the end of the day out of your pocket being saved.”

Finance Director Kitty Crow had informed legislators in committee meetings that the sales tax reduction should have a neutral effect on the county’s budgeted sales tax revenue for 2022.

Legislators voted 6 to 12 against a resolution that would have accepted a $75,000 grant to address vaccine hesitancy in the county with the goal to increase the vaccination rates in children and the African-American community.

Legislator Bob Bankowski took issue with how the resolution singled out specific groups, “It is basically singling out African Americans, Amish people because of their religion, children. At this point and time, I mean, this has been around now, COVID has been here for two years. I think people have decided if they’re going to get vaccinated or they’re not going to get vaccinated. And in general, this should be for all and not just singling out groups.”

A handful of residents had spoke out on the resolution during privilege of floor over concerns of over-reach by the Health Department.

Chautauqua County Legislature

The Chautauqua County Legislature unanimously passed the 2022 budget with a property tax and tax levy decrease.

The new property tax rate will be $8.10 per $1,000 assessed value, which is 40-cents lower than the current rate. The real property tax levy will be $66,912,293, which is $271,102 dollars lower than the current levy.

Audit and Control Chair Legislator Chuck Nazzaro thanked everyone involved in the budget process, saying County Executive PJ Wendel had presented a structurally sound budget back in September, “This budget provides property tax relief, there’s no use of undesignated fund balance, it creates a contingency account for those unexpected expenses, and meets our five-year plan.”

Legislator Terry Niebel said he supports the budget but urged some caution, “We did create 42 new positions this year. And I realize that many of these positions are 100% funded either by the state or federal government, but look, two or three years from now we’re going to have to decide how we’re going to fund these positions or if we’re going to fund these positions at all.”

The Legislature also approved via block vote 13 resolutions related to spending American Rescue Plan funds. A resolution on a new handgun project was pulled. Projects that were approved for funding included the $4.68 million to purchase a crane, two dump/plow trucks, a snow blower, and long-arm excavator. The use of $1.4 million to purchase property to turn them into shovel-ready sites as approved. The Frank W. Bratt Ag Building will receive $1.1 million for building upgrades. And over $2 million dollars will go toward economic development initiatives such as bolstering the bed tax fund, providing marketing assistance, workforce development initiatives, and funding the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth.

A resolution to spend $72,000 in ARP fund to do a study of the Jamestown Airport on bringing back Essential Air Service failed by a vote of 4 to 15.

Legislator Elisabeth Rankin voted no, saying so much work has already been done on the airport, “I am totally in favor of any infrastructure investment that will help the county. And I’ve been the beneficiary of years of flying in and out of Jamestown Airport. However, I do believe we’ve given it its chance and I think its time has come and gone. And I’m not in favor of a study, of spending money on a study that I don’t think is going to get us anywhere.”

Legislators Chuck Nazzaro, Jay Gould, and Bill Ward also voiced their opposition to spending money on another study of the airport.

Legislators did unanimously approve a contract with the the County Sheriff’s Supervisor’s Association. The contract agreement runs from January 1st, 2022 through December 31st, 2025. It includes modifications to longevity, employer and employee cost share of the health plan, the retiree cash-out benefit, the addition of a cell phone stipend of $50 per month, an increase to the clothing allowance, and a change from a three to a four step salary schedule.

The Chautauqua County Airport, just north of Jamestown. (Image via Google)

MAYVILLE – The Chautauqua County Legislature has approved a resolution that will use tax payer money to subsidize commercial flight operations at the Chautauqua County Airport in Jamestown.

The decision was made Wednesday night and comes as county officials work to get commercial air service to back to the airport. The airport in Jamestown has been without commercial flights since January 2018.

The resolution was approved 16-1, with Frank “Jay” Gould being the only “No” vote.

According to the Post-Journal, the resolution states the county would fund $72,000 in cash and $52,000 through in-kind services as part of the local subsidy. County officials will also be asking the business community to fund $75,000 in cash and $87,000 through in-kind services toward commercial service.

Officials hope the move will help show the U.S. Department of Transportation the county is willing to invest its own money, say they will – in turn – authorize the return of the Essential Air Service subsidy, which would cover the majority of the cost of having a commercial air service operate out of Jamestown.

In order to return federal funding, the DOT would like a 10% local contribution to the nearly $3 million annual subsidy it provides through the EAS for three years.

Also on Wednesday, Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning, NY-23) announced three grants valued at $660,000 to provide the Jamestown Airport with funding to renovate and improve their facilities.

The DOT awards Airport Capital Improvement Program Grants (ACIP) through the Federal Aviation Administration for the planning and development of public-use airports.

Candidate petitions were submitted to the Chautauqua County Board of Elections last week and of the 19 seats that will be up for a vote, just seven have more than one candidate running.

JAMESTOWN AREA WILL FEATURE ONE CONTESTED RACE

In Jamestown, the lone contested race will be for District 12 on the north side of the city. Currently, Republican Elisabeth Rankin holds that seat and she is running for reelection. She will face Democratic challenger Margaret “Peg” Cornell.

All other candidates from the Jamestown area who serve on the county legislature are running unopposed. That includes the candidate for District 11, a seat currently held by Republican David Wilfong. Because Wilfong is running for mayor of Jamestown in this year’s election, the district 11 seat will be an open race. However, only Democrat and former county legislator Robert Whitney has submitted petitions to run for that seat. Whitney last served on the legislature in 2013, when he was defeated by Wilfong in that year’s election.

The other Jamestown-area seats all have incumbents running unopposed. They include Chuck Nazzaro, D-District 9 (Jamestown); Paul “PJ” Wendel, R-District 10 (Busti/Lakewood and Jamestown); Paul Whitford, D-District 13 (Jamestown); Daniel Pavlock, R-District 14 (Ellicott north of I-86, Gerry, Ellington, Charlotte/Sinclairville); Lisa Vanstrom, R-District 15 (Ellicott/Falconer, West Ellicott/Celoron); John Davis, R-District 16 (Carroll, Kiantone, Poland); and Frank Gould, R-District 17 (Busti, Harmony/Panama, Clymer, French Creek).

REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES SCHEDULED FOR DISTRICT 1 and DISTRICT 18

Other races of note include District 18 (Chautauqua/Mayville, Mina, Sherman), which is now an open seat after the untimely passing of Republican David Himelein. The two candidates running for that seat are Richard Syper and Bill Ward, both of Mayville. Both Ward and Syper and seeking the Republican party endorsement, meaning they will square off in the June 25 primary. Syper has also been endorsed by the conservative party, while Ward is the lone candidate for the Democratic, Independence, and Working families parties.

Another Republican Primary will take place in District 1 (Dunkirk), where current incumbent Kevin Muldowney (R) is being challenged for the party line by Ronald Hall. Muldowney has also been endorsed by the Independence party, while Hall has been endorsed by the Conservative party. Meanwhile, a third candidate – Phillip Collier – is the lone candidate for the Democratic and Working Families parties. That means regardless of how the Republican primary shakes out in that district, there will still likely be a three-way race come November.

Other contested races for the legislature will take place in District 3 (Pomfret/Fredonia) with incumbent Robert Scudder (R, C) facing challenger Christopher Schaeffer (D, I), in District 4 (Fredonia) with incumbent Christine Starks (D, I, WF) facing Melanie Mann (R, C), in District 5 (Arkwright, Cherry Creek, Sheridan, Villanova) with incumbent Terry Neibel (R, C, I) facing Jeffry Sayers (D, WF), and in District 6 (Hanover/Silver Creek/Forestville) with incumbent Kevin O’Connell (D, I, WF) facing Thomas Harmon (R, C).

The other four legislature incumbents running unopposed include Robert Bankowski, D-District 2 (Dunkirk); Mark O’Dell, R-District 7 (Chautauqua, Portland/Brockton, Stockton); Pierre Chagnon, R-District 8 (Ellery/Bemus Point, North Harmony), and John Hemmer, R-District 19 (Ripley, Westfield).

While the petition deadline has passed for candidate to get their name on the ballot for a specific party, it’s still not to late for the party to place a candidate on the ballot. Any party that currently doesn’t have a candidate listed for any office up for election can still file for an Opportunity to Ballot, or could circulate an Independent petition accompanied by mail, pointing out that the candidate is endorsed by the party.

The Grow Chautauqua Hops and Grains economic development project is something that County Executive George Borrello called for during his 2019 State of the County address in order to help local farmers who aren’t making enough money through traditional agriculture products.

“This initiative will create new opportunities for our farmers along with other new businesses involved in processing, distribution and marketing for these in-demand agricultural products,” Borrello noted in February. “It will allow our farmers to be part of creating a premium ‘Chautauqua Grown’ brand of high-quality products made right here with their crops. This is a big idea that has potential to be a game-changer for the future of agriculture and our economy.”

The effort would involve spending a total of $120,000 for a consultant, Chris LaCorata, to develop a feasibility study and plan to launch the coop – which Borrello said would be the first of its kind in the state.

LaCorata would personally cover $60,000 of the cost, with that the County and other local stakeholders covering the other $60,000. County development officials have already requested funding to come from local foundations, while the county itself would pitch in $20,000.

Once completed, the results of the study will be jointly owned by the Developer and the funding parties, along with the conditions and use of the study being agreed upon by the funding parties.

The vote to apply county tax payer money toward the project wasn’t unanimous with four legislators voting against it. They were Republicans John Hemmer (Westfield), John Davis (Frewsburg), Jay Gould (Ashville), and Daniel Pavlock (Sinclairville).

The move would allow the addition of another ambulance to the system, with county emergency services officials being able to start billing Medicaid for calls.

The vote on the proposal was 15 to 3, with Jamestown’s Chuck Nazzaro recusing himself from the vote due to his employment with UPMC Chautauqua – which also provides EMS services.

The three who voted against the proposal were Daniel Pavlock of Sinclairville, Jay Gould of Ashville, and Mark Odell of Brocton – who told WRFA after the vote that EMS volunteers in his district have expressed concern over the program, saying it would create a chilling effect for volunteers who may be reluctant to respond to an emergency call – especially in the evening or overnight – knowing there are now county workers who would be paid to do so.

The legislature also approved Borrello’s proposal to fund $45,000 out of the county’s bed tax money for a study to create a Ripley Gateway/Commerce Center.

This year’s election features races for several local offices, including County Executive, County Clerk, and all 19 seats in the Chautauqua County Legislature.

Already announced candidates include Republican George Borrello (Irving) and Democrat Mike Ferguson (Fredonia) running for the open seat of County Executive after Vince Horrigan announce at the start of this year he would not seek another term in office. Running for county clerk will be Republican incumbent Larry Barmore of Gerry, being challenged by Democrat LeeAnn Lazarony of Cassadaga.

10 out of 19 Legislature Seats Uncontested

A map of the legislative districts for Chautauqua County.

In addition to the two county-wide races, there will be nine contested races for in the 19-seat Chautauqua County Legislature, including two open seat races.

Contested races include:

• District 1 (Dunkirk) – Democrat Tommy Roque is facing Republican incumbent Kevin Muldowney;
• District 3 (Fredonia) – Democrat Robert Dando is facing Republican incumbent Bob Scudder;
• District 6 (Hanover) – Democrat Kevin O’Connell of Silver Creek is facing Republican Gary Cerne of Irving. The two are vying for the seat currently held by Borrello, who is running for County Executive;
• District 8 (Ellery and North Harmony) – Democrat Jeri Ann Simora of Stow is challenging Republican incumbent Pierre Chagnon of Bemus Point;
• District 11 (Jamestown) – Democrat Frank Besse is challenging Republican incumbent and County Republican Party Chair Dave Wilfong;
• District 12 (Jamestown) – Democrat Dave Reinhardt is challenging Republican incumbent Elisabeth Rankin;
• District 16 (Kiantone, Carrol, Poland) – Democrat and Poland Town Councilman Terry Walker of Kennedy is facing Republican John Davis of Frewsburg. The two are vying for the seat currently held by Republican Ron Lemon (Frewsburg) who has announced he will not seek reelection;
• District 18 (Chautauqua, Sherman, and Mina) – Independence Party member Ella Ames of Mayville is running on the Democratic ticket and is challenging Republican incumbent and Legislature Chairman David Himelein of Findley Lake;
• District 19 (Westfield and Ripley) – Democrat Laurel Adams of Ripley is challenging Republican incumbent John Hemmer of Westfield.

It appears 10 races will be uncontested this year.

The four incumbent Democratic legislators are all seeking re-election and are apparently not being opposed by Republicans. They include Minority Leader Chuck Nazzaro (District 9 – Jamestown) Assistant Minority Leader Bob Bankoski (District 2 – Dunkirk); Christine Starks (District 4 – Fredonia) and Paul Whitford (District 13 – Jamestown).

Six Republicans, including five incumbents, are also running unopposed. They are Terry Niebel (District 5 – Dunkirk), Mark O’Dell (District 7 – Brocton), Paul “PJ” Wendel (District 10- Lakewood), Lisa Vanstrom (District 15 – West Ellicott), and Frank “Jay” Gould (District 17 – Ashville).

Republican Dan Pavlock of Charlotte will be running unopposed in the open District 14 seat, which is being vacated by Republican Mark Tarbrake (Jamestown), who is vacating the seat due to moving out of the district. District 14 covers the Town of Ellicott north of I-86, along with the towns of Gerry, Ellington, and Charlotte.

Republicans currently hold at 15 to 4 majority in the legislature.