WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – Bill Johnson will be the next chair of the Jefferson County legislature. Patrick Jareo will be vice-chair.
The legislature’s Republican majority met Thursday night and selected both men. Their decision came just a day after the early front-runner for the chair, District 3 legislator Phil Reed, dropped out.
The full legislature – the 14 Republican majority and one Democrat – will make the choices official at the legislature’s first meeting in January.
Johnson, who represents the towns of Lyme and Brownville, is a veteran legislator – he even served on the legislature’s predecessor, the Board of Supervisors – and is well-regarded by the board’s different factions.
“He’s a calming influence,” one legislator told 7 News this week.
Jareo represents the towns of Hounsfield, Henderson and Ellisburg. He was first elected to the legislature in 2014.
Johnson and Jareo take over leadership of county government at a fraught time; the county has led the way in dealing with COVID-19, but current chair Scott Gray has found himself caught in a bitter controversy as he called for a state of emergency and a mask “requirement.”
That angered many legislators, but Gray and the leaders of local hospitals have warned there needs to be a robust response to COVID as it surges again, or the local health care system could easily be overwhelmed.
Gray’s replacement will face a difficult balancing act; don’t anger legislators or the people they represent, including many people deeply skeptical about vaccines, while safeguarding public health.
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