Jaynes fills vacant county legislature seat

Jaynes fills vacant county legislature seat

SCHUYLER COUNTY--Following the unexpected resignation of Schuyler County Legislator Van Harp, Schuyler County Judge Matthew Hayden swore in Laurence Jaynes as Harp's replacement during the Monday, March 8 Schuyler Legislative meeting. Harp, a Republican who represented District 2, has not publicly released his reason for resignation yet.
"I am not going to discuss this over the phone," Harp said, adding he would be willing to discuss his resignation in person at a later date.
Jaynes was appointed to the position in a special session last week but was sworn in Monday night. Prior to being sworn in, Legislative Chair Carl Blowers briefly listed Jaynes' qualifications and qualities, saying he sits on the board of Burdett, is chairman of a local Republican committee, serves as transportation manager for the Watkins and Odessa school systems, is an avid golfer, a new business owner, is involved in the riding and training of horses and more.
"You have a lot on your plate Larry," Blowers said.
"Yes I do," Jaynes responded.
Following the swearing in, Hayden thanked Harp for his service and wished Jaynes good luck going forward.
The legislature passed a resolution adopting police reform plans, as mandated by the state, which had to be finished by April 1. County Administrator Tim O'Hearn informed the board that while the reform resolution does not include money for extra training, he did say the board can increase funding for training and grant funding in the future for that very reason.
"We developed a solid plan used as a model by other counties," O'Hearn said.
The police reform plan is available online and is currently attached to the end of the online agenda for the legislative meeting on March 8. Visit https://www.schuylercounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/3225/Regular-Meeting-Agenda-and-Resolutions and scroll to the bottom of the document.
Blowers added a lot of energy went into the police reform issue and said those involved should be honored.
The legislature also decided to start going back to live meetings instead of continuing to hold virtual Zoom meetings. Starting later this month, meetings involving legislative members will start to be held in-person again while legislative meetings will be held at the Human Services Complex in Montour Falls to ensure social distancing.
After a lengthy executive session, the legislature voted 6-2 to appoint Valerie G. Gardner as Schuyler County Public Defender through Dec. 31, 2023 at an annual salary of $100,925. Legislators Gary Gray and Phil Barnes voted against. The salary on the resolution originally listed was at $102,000, but following an executive session, the legislature voted 6-2 to reduce the salary by $1,025 with legislators Michael Lausell and Mark Rondinaro voting against the reduction.