Fitch returns to fill Yates Legislature vacancy

PENN YAN - Former legislator H. Taylor Fitch of the town of Jerusalem was appointed to complete an unexpired term on the Yates County Legislature during a special meeting on Nov. 30.
A retired businessman who had served earlier as the legislature's chairman, Fitch was nominated for the District 1 seat by legislature Vice Chairman Douglas Paddock.
Also nominated were Tom Close by legislator Edward Bronson and Tim Cutler by legislator Elden Morrison. Fitch received nine votes and Cutler received three votes. There were no votes for Close.
Fitch owned Fitch Auto Supply on Clinton Street for 25 years and has been retired for 20 years, he said. He has been involved in politics, the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hospital board and the Yates County Industrial Development Agency board, he said.
"I'm very involved in the community," he said. "There's not many boards I haven't been on in Yates County."
Now that he's back on the legislature, Fitch hopes to bring some unfinished economic development projects to completion.
"When I left before, there were some undone economic developments," he said. "I'm all about improving the economy in Yates County. That's why I ran the first time back in 2001. I'm worried about Keuka Outlet, Penn Yan Marine, broadband, the outlet trail. Those are the types of things I'd like to see completed."
In addition to Paddock and Bronson, legislators casting their ballots for Fitch were Chairman Timothy Dennis, Daniel Banach, Leslie Church, P. Earle Gleason, James Multer, Bonnie Percy and William Holgate. Voting for Cutler were Morrison, Mark Morris and James Smith.
Fitch takes the seat that was held by Gary Montgomery, who died Nov. 2. The term expires at the end of 2017.
Also during the special session, Dennis appointed June Pendelton to the Fish and Wildlife Management Board as the landowner representative. He also appointed County Administrator Robert Lawton to the Yates County seat on the Southern Tier Network board.
Additionally, the legislature set its year-end meeting for 4 p.m. Dec. 28 in the legislative chambers of the county office building.