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Voters have a clear choice to make regarding the Chautauqua County Legislature when they go to the polls on Nov. 3 – keep the status quo or shake things up.
Locally, voters will see contested races in seven races.
In District 9, the recent move of incumbent Democrat Vince DeJoy to North Carolina, coupled with news that former legislator Charles Nazzaro intends to step into the vacancy and accept the position if DeJoy ends up winning the position pits Nazzaro against John Vogan, a Republican Jamestown resident who has been a longtime varsity wrestling coach at Southwestern Central School. Nazzaro has a lengthy history as a financial conservative from his prior tenure on the legislature, while Vogan is a newcomer to county politics. Voters will have a choice, something we weren't sure was going to be the case as recently as last week. Nazzaro's financial background would serve the legislature well, but we give Vogan credit for being part of the entire campaign season rather than running as a seat-filler.
District 10 pits Democrat Julie Jackson-Forsberg against incumbent Jamie Gustafson. Gustafson was absent for a recent vote during which the Republican majority voted to tie salary ranges for county managers to yearly changes in inflation, a decision with which we vehemently disagree. But Gustafson hasn't exactly been a paragon of fiscal conservatism during her time in the legislature. Jackson-Forsberg would certainly bring a different voice – though we aren't sure that voice would be one of fiscal conservatism either. We aren't endorsing in this race on those grounds, though voters could do far worse than Jackson-Forsberg if they want a different voice in Mayville. .
Voters have a choice between incumbent Democrat Robert Whitney and newcomer Jeremy Maggio in District 11. We endorse Maggio given Whitney's prior opposition to selling the Chautauqua County Home – a decision that was the right decision to make in 2014 to help improve the county's finances at the time. His opposition then makes us doubt whether or not Whitney will stand up for taxpayers now, though he did join with his Democratic Party colleagues in opposing tying salary ranges to inflation. We endorse Maggio, who we hope will feel free to break with Republicans on the legislature when it comes to decisions on county spending.
Incumbent Fred Larson, a Democrat, is running against longtime Jamestown City Councilman Brent Sheldon in District 12. In our view, voters should return Larson to the legislature. Larson has been one of the strongest voices over the past several years for investment in shovel-ready sites in the county in an attempt to attract additional large-scale development and has been a strong proponent of the county exercising fiscal restraint – including casting the deciding vote to sell the Chautauqua County Home. His record on financial decisions is consistent whether his party was in the majority or minority. While we value Sheldon's service on the City Council, there is no reason for Larson not to return to Mayville.
Another incumbent, Democrat Tom Nelson, faces a challenge from Andrew Faulkner, a Republican Jamestown City Councilman, in District 13. Much like Larson, Nelson has opposed many of the county's recent decisions that have raised concerns about county spending. Nelson has taken a much more vocal position on the legislature than he did when he served on the Jamestown City Council, and he has well represented city residents on the legislature. He has earned two more years in Mayville.
District 15 pits Nikki Pierce, a Democrat, business owner and current Falconer Village Board member, against Lisa Vanstrom, an incumbent Republican and constituent specialist for state Sen. George Borrello. We endorse Pierce, who has been active in working to bring new vitality to Falconer's downtown and who has firsthand experience with the challenges Ellicott and Falconer have faced with the county's approach to housing the homeless in hotels located in and near Falconer. We do hope, if elected, that Pierce also brings with her a skeptical eye when it comes to county spending, particularly when it comes to adding new positions to county government and giving away additional perks to county employees.
Voters in District 16 have a choice between incumbent Republican Dalton Anthony and Christopher DeBlass, a Democrat. DeBlass' has run a quiet campaign, while Anthony recently supported the county's decision to tie management salary ranges to inflation. We choose not to endorse in this race.
Voters in the Mayville area have a choice between incumbent Marty Proctor and newcomer Dan Morton in District 18. We endorse Morton, a former Marine and current teacher at Chautauqua Lake Central School. Morton acknowledges Chautauqua County is a daycare desert, sees the need for further economic development, work to help address population decline and a median household income that is far less than the national average. We think he could also bring a discerning eye to questions about county finances and not fall prey to simply saying yes to every proposal that comes his way if he is elected to the legislature.