To the editor:

We, the undersigned, congratulate Lindy Ellis on her appointment to the Franklin County Legislature as representative for District 7. She is a capable and accomplished woman, with a record of service on the boards of directors of local development and community organizations. We are confident that she will ably fill the seat until the end of the current term in December.

Contrary to assertions made by Mike Kilroy in a recent Guest Commentary, consideration was given to the opinions of local officials and community members. Ellis was recommended by the previous District 7 Legislator, Barb Rice, and endorsed by two of the four Democrats on the Harrietstown town board, the mayor of Saranac Lake, the entire Harrietstown Democratic Committee and the chair of the Franklin Democratic Committee. We feel that she will be a strong voice advocating for the southern towns of the county.

Ellis will begin collecting signatures this week to have her name on the Democratic line of the ballot in November. So far, no other Democrat in District 7 has announced an intention to run for the position. Whoever wins in November will serve for only one year; new elections for a three-year term will take place in 2019.

One last point: When Rice was elected in 2013, she took her seat as the sole woman on the Franklin County Board of Legislators. Andrea Dumas’s subsequent election to the board brought the number up to two — out of seven legislators. As a matter of representation, and recognizing the benefits of having diverse voices in government, we are pleased that Ellis’s appointment keeps that number steady for now.

Sincerely,

Ellen Beberman, Chair, Town of Franklin Democratic Committee

Jordanna Mallach, Chair, Town of Harrietstown Democratic Committee

Tracey Schrader, Harrietstown Council

Autumn LeFebvre, Town of Franklin Democratic Committee