Assuming Ormsby survives the upcoming June 18 primary, he will become a full board member July 1
By Andrew Harris
For the better part of the last eight months, the Town of Wellsville has been missing an elected official. Board member William Fish resigned his seat last September and the board has operated with an even number of four since that departure.
At the last town board meeting, a unanimous vote will put Ormsby on the board to complete the term abandoned by Fish, assuming he wins the June 28 primary. All Ormsby has to do to win that primary election is stay alive, he is running unopposed.
Longtime board member Michael Miller was happy to report the appointment and had this to say:
“I’m glad we are betting back to full strength and the little I have talked with Jeff so far, I am looking forward to working with him.”
Ormsby is a longtime member of the Wellsville Fire Company and works for the NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services as a Fire Protection Specialist. He is optimistic about the new challenge:
“I’m thrilled the town will have a full board moving through the rest of 2022 and look forward to working with the board to serve the town residents. I’m open to comments and concerns from any town resident.”
In March, Allegany County Republican President Robert Christman came to the board requesting that Ormsby be appointed to the board. While he was “rebuffed” at the time, it appears the will of the county GOP prevailed.
Ormsby comes on the board during a important point in time for Wellsville. Major economic development projects like Walgreens, Quicklee’s, and Tim Hortons are underway. As a professional and volunteer first responder, Ormsby could play a critical role in resolving the dispute over the fire service contract between the town and Village of Wellsville. As a state employee, Ormsby offers a resource to the town that could be very valuable. Currently all town officials work in the private or the non-profit sector.
Wellsville Fire Department Chief Kevin Fleischman, also a member of the Wellsville Fire Company, was happy to learn his fellow firefighter was getting in to politics:
“I wish him the best of luck. I hope that having Fire Department members on both boards, will help benefit the department, and the future of the town and village of Wellsville. Jeff is a good candidate.”
