WRFA’s Julia Ciesla-Hanley spoke with Democratic Candidate for Chautauqua County Executive Norm Green to get to know him a little better and find out why he’s running for the office.

Norman Green

Current Chautauqua County Democratic Election Commissioner and Chautauqua County Democratic Committee Chair Norman Green joins us on Community Matters. Green talks about why he filed a lawsuit against the County Legislature to prevent the appointment of a new election commissioner, and he’ll also discuss the concerns and allegations that have come forward by some members of the Democratic Party against him and other party leadership.

Norm Green

JAMESTOWN CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES

During a Zoom meeting Wednesday, the Jamestown Democratic Committee announced that Jamestown city council incumbents Marie Carrubba (W2), Vickye James (W3), and Tom Nelson (W6) will each be seeking two more years in office. However, Graham-Reinhardt (At Large) won’t be running for reelction.

Democrats are currently the minority party on the nine-member city council, but can pick up the majority with a win by all three incumbents also victories from two of the four newcomers. They include At Large candidates Christina Cardinale, Ellen DiTonto, and Alyssa Porter. Joining the three is Ward 5 candidate Doug Lawson.

Republicans haven’t announced their candidates for 2021 yet. Those currently on the council include City Council President Tony Dolce (W2), Brent Sheldon (W1), Grant Olson (W5), Kim Ecklund (At Large), and Jeff Russell (At Large).

They mayor’s office, held by Democrat Eddie Sundquist, is in the middle of its four-year term and is not up for election this year.

COUNTY LEGISLATURE TO LOSE MINORITY LEADER

Chautauqua County Democratic Party Chairman Norm Green announced the slate of Democrats running for Chautauqua County Legislature. But prior to naming the candidates, he first announced that long-time legislator Chuck Nazzaro (D9) would not be seeking reelection. Nazzaro is a long-time member of the legislature, is the current minority leader, and the ranking member of the legislature Audit and Control Committee.

Instead, running for District 9 (South Dide) will be Billy Torres. For the other Democratic candidates, current legislators Bob Whitney (D11-West Side) and Paul Whitford (D13-East Side) are both seeking reelection. And Heather Fagan (D12-North Side) will be making her first run for public office.

For Republicans, Elisabeth Rankin (D12) is the only current city resident who sits on the Chautauqua County Legislature. A portion of District 10 is also in Jamestown, but it is held by Lakewood area resident Ken Lawton, a Republican.

Republicans haven’t yet announced their full slate of candidates for 2021.

During Monday’s Jamestown City Council meeting, county election commissioners Norman Green and Brian Abram discussed the Ward 3 polling site situation with council members. The discussion came after the National Comedy Center (NCC) notified the commissioners it no longer wanted to host voting inside its gift shop, which was previously the center concourse for the Jamestown Gateway Train Station.

The  BOE is permitted to select any location owned by a non profit that is suitable to hold elections and the NCC is a non profit organization. However, city attorney Elliot Raimondo explained that state election law doesn’t permit voting to take place inside establishments that also hold a liquor license, which would preclude the NCC.

But Green said that’s not always the case in New York State and said there are several examples of voting taking place at locations that also hold a liquor license. He said as he understands it, the law primarily focuses on having voting take place in the same room that alcohol is being served, and that’s not the case at the NCC.

Green also said that this is the first instance in his 22 years at the Board of elections where a location has said it no longer wants to host voting.
Some council members, including Vickye James (D) who represents Ward 3, said they would prefer the polling site stay where it is, adding that her constituents feel like they are not welcome by the NCC. Councilman Jeff Russell (R-At Large) also spoke out against moving the polling site, saying the building was renovated 10 years ago with public money, and it should remain accessible to the public – even if on a limited basis. Other council members who spoke in favor of keeping the polling location at the NCC were Tamu Graham Reinhardt (D-at large) and both Marie Carrubba (D-Ward 5). Carrubba said that with redistricting planned for next year, there could be need to move the polling location again to conform with new Ward 3 boundaries. As a result, the BOE should wait until that process is over before making any moves.

However, Council President Tony Dolce (R-Ward 2) said it’s up to the BOE and the NCC to come to a conclusion on the issue, but did say there were other locations to consider. Those locations included both the Lucille Ball Little Theater and the James Prendergast Library.

The BOE will now have to decide if it wants to keep the polling site where it is, with the NCC possibly challenging that decision. Or respect the wishes of the NCC and move to a new location.

Following the council meeting, the NCC released a statement pointing to the state law involving polling sites not being at a location that also sells liquor, and saying the consulted with the New York State Board of Elections, and it advised the organization due to its liquor license, the entire facility is prohibited from being a polling site.

Chautauqua County Election Commissioners Brian Abram and Norm Green discuss several issues facing the BOE at the start of the new year – including searching for a possible new polling site location for Ward 3 voters in Jamestown, getting a new Democratic Election Commissioner in place, and what candidates need to know to prepare for the 2021 local elections.

County lawmakers opted not to act on the recommendation from the County Democratic Committee’s Executive Committee to reappoint Norman Green as election commission. As a result, the full County Democratic Committee will have to meet and find a new recommendation to bring before the legislature.

In the meantime, Green will remain at his post until a new recommendation comes forward and is acted on by the legislature.

In October, the county democratic committee recommended Assistant Democratic Election Commission Luz Torres be appointed to replace the Green. However, the legislature pulled that recommendation from its October agenda after learning some members of the Democratic Party felt not all committee members were able to participate in the

Chautauqua County Democratic Election Commissioner and County Democratic Committee Chairman Norman Green.

MAYVILLE – The Post-Journal is reporting that Chautauqua County Democrats will re-nominate Norman Green to serve yet another four-year term as Democratic election commissioner after the nomination of his successor timed out before the Chautauqua County Legislature.

County Democrats had chosen deputy commissioner Luz Torres to replace Green in October. However, Torres’ recommendation was not taken up by the County Legislature within a 60-day period and expired during the first week of December, according to a release. Torres would have been the first Hispanic department head in the county’s history.

Green, the party’s longtime election commissioner, had originally announced his intention to retire during the fall.

An organizational meeting of the County Legislature is scheduled for Monday at 4 p.m.

Luz Torres

MAYVILLE – There will likely be a new Democratic Election Commissioner in Chautauqua County after this year’s general election.

Deputy Democratic Election Commissioner Luz Torres of Dunkirk will be going before the Chautauqua County Legislature’s Administrative Services Committee next week as the recommended replacement for long-time Commissioner Norman Green, who is retering at the end of this year.

Following review by the committee, Torres’ recommendation will move on to the full County Legislature for action at its Oct. 28 meeting. If approved, Torres will become the first Hispanic department head in county history.

Torres has worked at the Board of Elections since 2013 and promoted in 2018 to deputy election commissioner.

Originally recorded on Sept. 24, 2020.

WRFA’s Jason Sample talks with Chautauqua County Board of Elections Democratic Commissioner Norman Green, who offers details about the absentee voting process, talks about early voting, and also gives other details about voting during the 2020 General Election.

 Norman Green

The extension comes after several districts in the state said they had challenges with sending ballots to out voters on time. But that doesn’t appear to be a problem locally in Chautauqua County, where County Board of Elections Commissioner Norman Green said there were no problems or delays getting ballots out to residents.

“While most all of the rest of NYS is scrambling and absolutely FAILING to pull off a vote by mail election for school votes this Tuesday, our county school district clerks with support from our Board of Elections staff are getting the job done on time and in the most cost effective way. So Chautauqua County proud of the people I work with at my office and at the schools,” Green wrote on his Facebook page over the weekend.

While the deadline for mail-in ballots has been extended for a week, if any ballots are hand-delivered to a respective school district, they still must be received by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9.

For Jamestown Public Schools, residents are asked to vote on an $88.3 million “pandemic” budget that includes no property tax increase. The total spending is nearly $2.7 million less than the current year’s spending plan and includes the temporary elimination of the Success Academy and P-Tech programs, seven layoffs, the elimination of all field trips, and the holding off on hiring 40 new employees – including 23 teachers.

The austere spending plan is due to the state saying all schools in New York could see as much as a 20% reduction in state aid due to a downturn in the economy caused by COVID-19.

More details on the budget are provided on the school website.

The James Prendergast Library will also be part of the upcoming school district budget vote, with a proposition asking the public to approve the creation of a $350,000 library funding district, with money being raised through a property tax that would be added to the School Tax bill.

WRFA spoke with library executive director Annie Greene last week about the proposition. She noted the money is needed to help offset the library’s ongoing funding challenges, especially since the city of Jamestown significantly cut local aid to the library in recent years.