Congratulations, Mr. Pulver!

County Legislator A. Gregg Pulver (representing the towns of Pine Plains, Milan, Stanford, and North East) was re-elected Chairman of the Dutchess County Legislature on Wednesday, January 4. He will serve his sixth consecutive one-year term in that post. By a vote of 16-5 the Republican Legislator handily defeated the Democrat’s nominee Craig Brendli of Poughkeepsie. Four Legislators did not attend the meeting. 

Pulver made a brief statement to the Legislature after being sworn in by County Clerk Brad Kendall. He spoke movingly about this being the first time being elected Chairman without his mother, Eleanor Pulver, being nearby. She died last February 3rd at the age of 95. 

After the meeting he said his mom would, until the last two years, always sit in the Legislative Chamber during the meetings at which he was elected Chairman. “I did fine during the holidays,” he said, “but it her absence really hit me when this meeting started.” 

Pulver noted that this will be his first year as Chairman of the Legislature without Marcus Molinaro being County Executive. Molinaro was elected to the U.S. Congress in November. William F.X. O’Neil (pictured here to the left of Pulver) was sworn in as County Executive earlier in the day. O’Neil had served as Deputy County Executive under Molinaro. O’Neil stated that he will only serve until what would have been the end of Molinaro’s term, December 31. There will be an election November 4 to select a new County Executive.