GOP legislators to lead one-third of committees

Three Republican lawmakers are among nine legislators who will head Ulster County Legislature committees in 2020.

Legislature Chairman David Donaldson, D-Kingston, announced his committee appointments this week. He said he tapped Republicans Craig Lopez to head the Public Health and Social Services Committee and Dean Fabiano as chairman of the Public Works and Capital Projects Committee as part of his effort to make the Legislature more “collaborative” and have it work as a team.

“My mindset is to try to work together,” Donaldson said. “Most of my life in politics, I’ve been in fight mode. Now ... it seems different.”

The Democratic caucus has a 12-11 majority in the Legislature.

“We’ve got a new county executive and a new comptroller (Democrats Pat Ryan and March Gallagher),” Donaldson noted. “I feel that we’re working much more as a team and in order to make that team really work, I’d like to have Republicans a part of that team.”

Donaldson, the longestserving member of the Legislature, said that earlier in his career, he sponsored a resolution requiring that the deputy chairman of every legislative committee be a member of the opposite party of the committee chairman.

“It’s about trying to be collaborative if you can,” he said.

Donaldson was elected chairman of the Legislature earlier this month, a compromise candidate after former Chairwoman Tracey Bartels was unable to garner the votes of 12 Democrats needed to win re-election to the position. Donaldson also was chairman from 2006 to 2009.

Donaldson appointed Bartels, a nonenrolled voter from Gardiner who aligns with Democrats, vice chairwoman of the Legislature.

After years of butting heads with former County Executive Michael Hein, Donaldson said he is looking forward to a closer working relationship with the executive branch and Ryan.

“I’m excited about the new year,” he said. “We’ve got a new county executive who’s not afraid to call and actually ask for some advice. It seems like it’s going to be a much more collaborative mode.”

The committee appointments are as follows.

• Economic Development, Tourism, Housing, Planning and Transit: Brian Cahill, D-Ulster, chairman; Herbert Litts, R-Lloyd, deputy chairman; Lynn Archer, D-Accord; Thomas Corcoran, C-Marlborough; James Delaune, D-New Paltz; Mary Beth Maio, R-Lloyd; Abe Uchitelle, D-Kingston.

• Energy and Environment: Manna Jo Greene, D-Rosendale, chairwoman; Mary Wawro, C-Saugerties, deputy chairwoman; Albert Bruno, C-Saugerties; Peter Criswell, D-Kingston; Laura Petit, I-Port Ewen.

• Law Enforcement and Public Safety: Eve Walter, D-New Paltz, chairwoman; Heidi Haynes, I-Marbletown, deputy chairwoman; Dean Fabiano, R-Saugerties; Jonathan Heppner, D-Woodstock; John Parete, a registered Democrat from Boiceville who ran as a Republican.

• Laws, Rules and Governmental Services: Bartels, chairwoman; Kevin Roberts, R-Plattekill, deputy chairman; John Gavaris, D-Wawarsing; Ken Ronk, R-Wallkill; Heppner.

• Legislative Programs, Education and Community Services: Delaune, chairman; Corcoran, deputy chairman; Parete, Wawro, Criswell.

• Public Health and Social Services: Lopez, chairman; Criswell, deputy chairman; Bruno, Petit, Uchitelle.

• Public Works and Capital Projects: Fabiano, chairman; Greene, deputy chairwoman; Heppner, Litts, Cahill.

• Ways and Means: Archer, chairwoman; Ronk, deputy chairman, Bartels, Gavaris, Haynes, Maio, Walter.

• Audit: Parete, chairman; Litts, deputy chairman; Archer, Gavaris, Ronk.