Hartford appoints interim councilman

The Hartford Town Board appointed former board member Kevin McCarthy as an interim member to fill a vacancy on the board created by a resignation.

McCarthy is currently the President of the Hartford Volunteer Fire Company.

The measure passed unanimously with Supervisor Dana Haff, and council members Barbara Beecher and Robert Miller voting in favor; Councilman Kevin Eastman was not at the meeting.

The board appointed McCarthy following the Memorial Day resignation of Councilman Lee Wilson.

Wilson cited disagreements with the board, particularly Haff, with prompting the move. Wilson was at the mid point of a four-year term and the candidate elected to his seat will serve the remaining two years of the term after taking office January 1.

McCarthy said he had no intension of doing any more than filling in until the position can be filled in November. “I have no desire to run for those two years,” he said.

Haff said McCarthy’s volunteering to serve worked out well for the board who can have a councilman serving and not have to worry about proving an unfair advantage to anyone campaigning for a board seat in the fall.

Also at the meeting was former Supervisor Henry Gallinari. Gallinari announced recently and repeated at the meeting he plans to run for a seat on the Hartford Town Council. Gallinari suffered severe injuries and had to leave the supervisor’s post after taking a fall down basement steps at his home in 2006 and striking his head.

Gallinari said he’s looking forward to contributing if the people of Hartford elect him to one of what will now be three open spots on the board.

The full terms are four years.