Ron Conover re-elected CEO of Warren County

QUEENSBURY | Fending off two challengers who sought to lead Warren County, town of Bolton supervisor Ron Conover was elected to his third one-year term as chairman of the county Board of Supervisors during the panel's annual organizational meeting held Jan. 3. Conover received 551 of 1,000 weighted votes assigned to the county's 20 supervisors according to the population they represent. He had been challenged by Glens Falls 3rd Ward Supervisor Claudia Braymer who received 307 votes, and Queensbury-at-large Supervisor Doug Beaty who garnered 142 votes. Conover said he looked forward to taking care of the county's "unfinished business" that had been launched in his two prior one-year terms. "I am really humbled by the vote," he said, acknowledging that one supervisor's vote cast for another candidate could have meant a lack of a 501-vote majority. The three-way race was unique in at least 35 years for Warren County, as county chairmen have been selected weeks before in a closed door G.O.P. caucus — and with Republicans a solid majority on the board, the vote in the annual organizational meeting has for many years merely affirmed that choice. Beaty, who said weeks ago that he had strong bipartisan backing, said he was disappointed with the results. "The people who supported me got squeezed," he said, adding that Republicans were pressured to vote for Conover, and Democrats defected to Braymer, who announced her candidacy only 10 days or so before the vote. Conover said he didn't campaign for himself. "There was no recruitment by me, but I hear a lot of phone calls were being made with people sharing their ideas — but that's healthy," he said. Braymer said she appreciated the votes she received. "I'm encouraged by the support, and I think it's representative of a desire for change," she said. "I hope Ron Conover will be as open and transparent as he says he will be." Braymer was nominated by Johnsburg Supervisor Andrea Hogan, a Democrat, who said that women were under-represented in county leadership. Of the four women on the Board of Supervisors, only one was named to lead a county committee last year. "This is not adequate or accurate representation of the populace of this county," she said. But Hogan hadn't yet seen the committee assignments that Conover had made for 2019: he named Edna Frazier to head up the Health Human and Social Services Committee and he had chosen Braymer — regardless of her chairmanship challenge — to lead the Environmental Concerns and Real Property Tax Services Committee. Beaty, despite his criticisms of county leadership, was chosen to chair the County Facilities Committee. Also, Conover chose Queensbury-at-large Supervisor Matt Sokol as Deputy Chairman of the county Board of Supervisors. In his state-of-the-county address, Conover cited the county's stable tax rates, growing sales tax revenue and robust fund balance of $19.5 million. He also cited a reduction of $900,000 in health care premiums this year for retired county employees. He noted that recently consummated contracts for operating the county airport would reduce expenditures on the facility's operations by about $190,000 this year — or about $300,000 less than the average annual expenditures over the past decade. He also praised the work of airport manager Don DeGraw and county Public Works Superintendent Kevin Hajos for devising a downsized runway expansion proposal that would save millions of dollars in taxpayer money and be less environmentally intrusive than prior plans pursued over the last decade. CONOVER CITES PRIORITIES FOR CO. GOVERNMENT Conover said he was looking forward to the county board tackling the following issues: • Providing sustainable and adequate emergency medical services throughout the county, likely through establishing a county-wide EMS taxing district to assure timely, professional services. "The existing emergency response systems continue to be stressed and our EMS experts advise us that the situation is only getting worse," he warned. • Modernizing the county's infrastructure including roads and bridges as well as stormwater, sewer and water treatment facilities and transmission systems — with a first step of developing a "Comprehensive Capital Infrastructure Plan." • Stepping up projects for environmental protection, including employing high-technology equipment reducing the use of road salt and helping lakeside property owners to upgrade septic systems. • Boosting tourism though expanding the county's partnership with business owners — and working closely with the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce's Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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Ron Conover re-elected CEO of Warren County

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