Richardson sworn in as Town Supervisor

After taking her oath of office on top of a Bible and the town code, former Monroe Town Board member Maureen Richardson assumed her new role as Town Supervisor during the Jan. 5 meeting. She thanked the residents - many of whom were in the large crowd attending the swearing in of newly elected officers - for their support.

“I have always stood for this town. This town has always stood with me. And now, again, I get to take this seat because of all of you,” she said. “It’s a very moving night and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Monroe.”

Along with Richardson, newly elected councilpersons Bethany Stephens and Luis Rivera also took their oaths of office and became official members of the Town Board. Richardson appointed Mary Bingham, whose previous term as councilperson expired at the end of last year, to fill her vacant seat on the board. Audra Schwartz, who was re-elected as Town Justice, also accepted her oath at the meeting.

During a joint meeting held the same evening, the Town of Palm Tree and the town of Monroe approved the appointment of Matthew Turnbull to fill the seat vacated by Katie Bonelli, who resigned from the position effective Jan. 1, in District 1 of the Orange County Legislature.

Richardson encouraged residents to consider taking on vacant roles on the Town’s Planning and Zoning Boards. At the time of the meeting, the planning and zoning boards each had two alternate positions to fill. Interested parties were encouraged to email town clerk Valerie Bitzer.

The board approved a mileage reimbursement allowance at a rate of 72.5 cents per mile for town officers. Bingham noted that the board will review its policy on mileage reimbursement, addressing loopholes, which may have permitted councilpersons to accept payments even if the mileage wasn’t used for officially approved town business, such as seminars or training.

The next meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday Jan 20 at Monroe Town Hall, 1465 Orange Turnpike.