County Newspaper Designation & Attorney Nomination Contested - Merrill Retains Budget Officer Position, County Organises for 2026

Bovina Supervisor Tina Molè is sworn in as supervisor chair by County Clerk Haley Gransbury.

By Mary A. Crisafulli

DELHI - Delaware County Supervisors met for the first time in 2026, with two new faces on the board and a few contested designations. They are officially organised for the year. All supervisors were present at the meeting.

County Attorney

The reappointment of County Attorney Amy Merklin and the designation of the two newspapers, though ultimately approved, were opposed.

Delhi Supervisor Maya Boukai was alone in opposing Merklin’s appointment. “I believe the legal advice given has exposed taxpayers to unnecessary litigation, rather than limiting risk and protecting county interests,” said Boukai.

Boukai has consistently voted no for the attorney and the newspaper for two years. “My experience on the board of supervisors has only reinforced those positions,” she noted.

Newspaper Designation

The county is required to designate two official newspapers annually to publish legal advertisements and notices. Supervisors voted to continue with 2025 designations of The Hancock Herald and The Mountain Eagle.

The county Republican and Democratic committees typically recommend designations. This year, the Republican recommendation was The Hancock Herald, and the Democratic was The Reporter. The Daily Star of Oneonta also reports on county news.

The Reporter was a county-designated newspaper, but in 2022 the county switched to the Herald. At the time, the county cited raising prices as a main reason for the switch. The issue prompted Reporter owners Kim and Randy Shepard to take legal action. The lawsuit is still pending in court.

Just before the organisational meeting began, Kim Shepard sent supervisors an email asking them to consider The Reporter. She argued that the Reporter offers low costs to taxpayers, consistent coverage and reach, a 52-week annual publication, and ease of placing notices with the online portal. She highlighted the costs, stating that all county legal ads from 2024 would have cost under $7,000 if placed with The Reporter.

Mountain Eagle publisher Matthew Avitabile said the 2024 county legal notices totalled roughly $2,500. Totalling for 2025 is ongoing and will be ready after press time.

“The Reporter reaches more Delaware County residents than any other paper, with greater circulation than the others combined,” said Boukai.

Kim Shepard did not respond to questions about circulation numbers by press time.

Hamden Supervisor Wayne Marshfield also voted against the designations. He said The Reporter should be listed as one of the designations or added as a third designation.

Budget Officer

In another discussion, former Colchester supervisor Arthur Merrill was reappointed as county budget officer. Merrill has served as budget officer for eight of his 12 years as a supervisor. After Merrill lost the November election to Rob Hafele, it was unclear who would assume the role of budget officer.

Although the vote to retain Merrill’s services was unanimous, Marshfield noted his dissatisfaction with having the position not in the hands of a current supervisor. While believing Merrill does a good job with the finances, Marshfield said it was unfortunate that someone else on the board could not have fulfilled the role.

Organization

Bovina Supervisor Tina Molè was reappointed as the supervisor chair with Meredith Supervisor James Ellis as deputy.

In her welcoming speech, Molè noted the work to advocate for local communities on State and Federal mandates that will continue through 2026.

“Given the political climate, the rise in the cost of living, new state regulations for development, and the increased demand for services, we will need to be creative, responsive, and most importantly well-informed about how new state and federal initiatives will affect Delaware County,” Molè said.

She noted the 712 bills signed by Governor Hochul in 2025. “Many of these bills have great merit and provide possible solutions to pressing issues across the state, including here in Delaware County,” she said, “However, the details of how these programs will be carried out and how counties will fund them are unclear. This will require us to dedicate staff and time to making sure we research and address these programs to reap as many benefits for our residents as possible without having to raise our tax levy to support them as additional unfunded mandates.”

Penny Bishop was reappointed as clerk to the board.

Maria Kelso was reappointed as Republican elections commissioner for a two-year term.

Douglas Elston was reappointed as Director of Mental Health Services for a three-year term.

Glenn Nealis was reappointed as director of economic development for a two-year term.

Keith Weaver was reappointed as youth bureau director for a one-year term.

Official depositories are Wayne Bank, Delaware National Bank of Delhi, National Bank and Trust Company, JPMorgan Chase, and Community Bank NA.

The next regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors is scheduled Wednesday, Jan. 7, at 1 p.m.

*The reporter of this article is a former employee of The Reporter.