MAYVILLE – Chautauqua County is moving forward with a plan to add staff to its Law Department, although not all county leaders are in support of the move.

During the recent legislature meeting, county lawmakers voted 18-1 to use $105,982 from the county’s unobligated fund balance. About half of the money will be used to hire a new paralegal to help deal with the increase of Freedom Of Information Requests. The other half will be used to cover a budgetary error in 2026.

Voting no to the resolution was Legislator Fred Johnson, R-Westfield.

During a prior committee meeting, Johnson said his issue is using county reserves.

“I am a hard no on accessing the fund balance to do what you want to do,” Johnson said to County Attorney Emily Woodard. “We at the legislature are not in the position to micromanage the county executive’s use of his budget. We gave him his budget. His budget is his budget. So this roughly $105,000 should not come out of the general fund.”

Woodard said she believes people are using Artificial Intelligence programs to make numerous Freedom Of Information Requests and asked for the paralegal to help free up the attorney to handle them.

In a separate vote, the legislature accepted federal and state funds so it could replace the security gates at the Chautauqua County Airport – Dunkirk, by an 18-1 vote.

Legislator Bob Scudder, R-Fredonia, was the lone no vote. Scudder did not comment on the vote, although he has a history of voting against accepting any state or federal grants for the airports, which he believes “keep the county in the airport business.”

According to the resolution, the new gates will cost $230,159. Of that amount, the Federal Aviation Administration will pay $218,651, the state Department of Transportation will pay $5,754 and the county will pay $5,754.

In other business:

– The legislature updated its regulations on short-term rental properties.

– Ann Brodell of Bemus Point was appointed to the South & Center Sewer District Board of Directors.

– Robin Starceski of Sherman was appointed to the Chautauqua County Agricultural & Farmland Protection Board.

– David Shepherd of Lakewood was appointed to the Chautauqua County Planning Board.

– The legislature approved the transfer of an $800,000 state grant from 2 Portage LLC to Upstate Economic Opportunities LLC. The money is being used to remodel the former CE Welch building in Westfield into apartments and commercial space. The same developer is doing the work, however it is being done by a different LLC.