Columbus to appoint interim after supervisor's resignation
COLUMBUS – The Town of Columbus plans to appoint an interim supervisor in February who would represent the municipality in county government decision-making this year.
The appointment is made necessary with the unexpected resignation Jan. 7 of Supervisor George G. Coates. Coates left following his board’s decision to accept a contractor’s bid and proceed with a building project.
Deputy Supervisor Elizabeth Vermeulen also resigned her position last week. She is the town’s bookkeeper and a member of the Planning Board. Her husband, Town Councilman Bruce Vermeulen, assumed the deputy supervisor role.
Town law precludes deputy supervisors from voting during meetings of the Chenango County Board of Supervisors or its standing committees. Because a special election for supervisor can’t be held until the fall, an interim supervisor would have to be appointed.
No candidates have been presented to the town board for consideration. The new deputy supervisor said he had no plans to throw is name in, but commented that Columbus right now “is in a very fluid environment where anything could happen.”
Coates’ resignation came as “quite a shock to everyone,” said Vermeulen. “George did an outstanding job, was a real advocate for the town.”
Coates said his “conscience” wouldn’t allow him to ask taxpayers to afford the $50,000 expense when other building improvements and equipment are needed in the town.
The project is a 26 by 32 feet addition to the town’s offices at the highway garage. It would provide space for New York State 6th Judicial Court proceedings. The board applied for and was awarded a $30,000 grant from the courts last year, of which $19,000 is obligated for construction.
Pecktown Construction of New Berlin was awarded the low bid. Work is expected to commence next month. To afford the project, the town will apply the grant along with approximately $30,000 in capital fund general reserves, according to Vermeulen.
Town of Columbus Clerk Brenda Weidman said the town’s year-end financial results weren’t completed for 2009, but the reserves stood at approximately $250,000. The 2010 budget is $228,750.
Coates said he would have preferred saving the expense by merging the town’s court with the Village of New Berlin’s on a temporary if not permanent basis. He said the town board “feared losing the town’s identity” with such a move.
When reached to comment on Coates’ resignation, Chenango County Board of Supervisors Chairman Richard B. Decker said he would miss him.
“I was quite surprised when I heard it. From my prospective, I wish he wouldn’t have resigned. I’m going to miss him. George was a good county supervisor. He had a good understanding of what was going on.”
The appointment is made necessary with the unexpected resignation Jan. 7 of Supervisor George G. Coates. Coates left following his board’s decision to accept a contractor’s bid and proceed with a building project.
Deputy Supervisor Elizabeth Vermeulen also resigned her position last week. She is the town’s bookkeeper and a member of the Planning Board. Her husband, Town Councilman Bruce Vermeulen, assumed the deputy supervisor role.
Town law precludes deputy supervisors from voting during meetings of the Chenango County Board of Supervisors or its standing committees. Because a special election for supervisor can’t be held until the fall, an interim supervisor would have to be appointed.
No candidates have been presented to the town board for consideration. The new deputy supervisor said he had no plans to throw is name in, but commented that Columbus right now “is in a very fluid environment where anything could happen.”
Coates’ resignation came as “quite a shock to everyone,” said Vermeulen. “George did an outstanding job, was a real advocate for the town.”
Coates said his “conscience” wouldn’t allow him to ask taxpayers to afford the $50,000 expense when other building improvements and equipment are needed in the town.
The project is a 26 by 32 feet addition to the town’s offices at the highway garage. It would provide space for New York State 6th Judicial Court proceedings. The board applied for and was awarded a $30,000 grant from the courts last year, of which $19,000 is obligated for construction.
Pecktown Construction of New Berlin was awarded the low bid. Work is expected to commence next month. To afford the project, the town will apply the grant along with approximately $30,000 in capital fund general reserves, according to Vermeulen.
Town of Columbus Clerk Brenda Weidman said the town’s year-end financial results weren’t completed for 2009, but the reserves stood at approximately $250,000. The 2010 budget is $228,750.
Coates said he would have preferred saving the expense by merging the town’s court with the Village of New Berlin’s on a temporary if not permanent basis. He said the town board “feared losing the town’s identity” with such a move.
When reached to comment on Coates’ resignation, Chenango County Board of Supervisors Chairman Richard B. Decker said he would miss him.
“I was quite surprised when I heard it. From my prospective, I wish he wouldn’t have resigned. I’m going to miss him. George was a good county supervisor. He had a good understanding of what was going on.”
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