MAYVILLE - With a couple of wisecracks, slaps on the back, kind words and handshakes, County Legislator Wally Huckno concluded his final meeting as chair of the Public Safety Committee.
The Democrat from District 10 will leave office at the end of the month, having decided to not run for a sixth term. He thanked those who worked with him on Public Safety in 2009 during the committee's Dec. 7 meeting.
A West Ellicott resident, Huckno has for 10 years now represented residents of his district, which covers a great deal of the town of Ellicott and a small portion of the town of Busti.
"Overall, it's a good time to go," Huckno said. "I'm not bitter about anything, I enjoy the guys from both sides of the aisle and I have good friends on both sides of the aisle."
Just as when he retired from teaching, Huckno said his decision to leave the legislature wasn't for lack of energy.
Recalling his days coaching football, Huckno said he could have continued on forever - but was just ready for a change, a new phase of life. He didn't grow tired of teaching or coaching and he hasn't grown tired of local politics, he would just rather focus his time on his family in the coming years.
A RELUCTANT LEGISLATOR
Wally Huckno wasn't all that into politics when he took office as a county legislator a decade ago.
In fact, Huckno had no interest in running against the Republican incumbent who previously represented the district - a legislator Huckno said he always voted for.
"I really thought he did a good job, but when they said he was retiring and going to Virginia, I, somewhat reluctantly, ran and won," Huckno recalled. "Then I won the next four times."
After taking office that first term, Huckno said he quickly found it difficult to be bipartisan.
"I think that I probably voted on both sides of the aisle more than anyone else and I kind of enjoyed that independence," Huckno said. "In my district, I have more Republicans than I do Democrats, so I always felt that, well... I've always been very fiscally conservative, I think, raising four children and always working two jobs. And so I tried to bring that into my work in the legislature. I never felt too pressured. I know several times I stood by myself in a vote and that was alright. I think it's good having maintained a little bit of independence."
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
More than anything else, Huckno counts having helped people as his legislative accomplishments.
"The conversation would usually start with, 'Coach, can you help me out,'" Huckno explained of calls from constituents not only in his district, but from throughout Chautauqua County. "That was the best part of the job. I really enjoyed that. And generally, all it took was a little intervention and getting to the right people to help a person out."
Tax-wise, Huckno thinks the legislature has done well enough in recent years - reducing property taxes the last few. And if there has been any major challenge he tackled during his term, Huckno believes its the increasing assessments local property owners face.
"I represent a lot of the lake and the assessments have been very high around the lake, but they've been high in a lot of places," Huckno said. "I have an area that is really a potpourri of everything. I have an affluent area around the lake, a middle class area and I have a poorer area. I think assessments have been one thing that has been very difficult for people to accept because they saw it as taxes being raised."
FUTURE FAMILY TIME
Huckno has a 15-year-old grandson in Maryland who has for two years quarterbacked for his school's junior varsity football team.
Just recently, the school's varsity team played in the state championships - losing the finals at the Baltimore Ravens' stadium.
"The school's a couple hundred kids larger than Jamestown High School and he has a shot maybe when he's a senior to be the quarterback for the varsity team," Huckno said. "His sister's a dancer and then I have two little grandchildren down there in Arlington and we have two grandchildren here in Falconer."
This past year, Huckno had commitments to seven committees - meaning some days were full up with meetings in the morning, afternoon and at night.
"This will free up more of that family time," Huckno said of his decision to retire from the legislature. "That's really what it is."
Specifically, Huckno said he travels out of the county each year to attend baseball games, vacation in the Florida Keys and visit his family. Now that there's no requirement to be in Mayville each month, Huckno said he won't have to worry about hurrying home.
"I guess you go through different stages," Huckno said. "As I move through the different stages of my life, I want to spend more time with my children and grandchildren and not have to come back because of an obligation."
Not able to quit everything all at once, Huckno said he anticipates he will continue on the Jamestown Community College Board.
"I enjoy doing that," Huckno said. "Many people either didn't know or forget that I was an English teacher for 32 years. They thought that because I was the football coach, i was a gym teacher. No, I had two majors - I had English and social studies. It was just incidental that I was the football coach and athletic director the last 10-and-a-half years. I've always been interested in academia and have really enjoyed Jamestown Community College, so we'll see where that goes."
Huckno's last County Legislature meeting as District 10 legislator will be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Gerace Office Building in Mayville.
