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The Tompkins County Legislature has elected Michael Lane (D) to lead the Legislature during 2014.   The position of Chair is filled each year by a majority vote of members of the Legislature.  The chair is responsible for overseeing all Legislative functions.

At the Legislature’s 2014 organizational meeting, Mr. Lane was the sole nominee for Chair and elected by unanimous vote (Legislator Dave McKenna was excused.)  Lane was nominated by Legislator Dooley Kiefer, who praised his deep interest in good government, as well as his ongoing care and concern for fairness, and his sound judgment.  Seconding the nomination, Legislator Peter Stein call Mr. Lane an honest and hard-working legislator, who has demonstrated his ability to devote a tremendous amount of time to the Legislature despite carrying out his professional responsibilities as an attorney, and his commitment to carry out what he has been sworn to do, no matter what the other responsibilities in his life.

Mr. Lane, first elected in 1993, is beginning his fifth term on the Legislature, representing District 14 (Eastern part of the Town of Dryden, including the Villages of Dryden and Freeville).  He served three consecutive terms, then after a one-term hiatus, was returned to the Legislature for two more.  He has served as Vice Chair of the Legislature for a total of ten years, between 1997 and 2005, and again during 2013. During his 16 years of service, he has chaired numerous legislative committees overseeing the wide range of county government functions.  In 2013, as well as serving as Vice Chair, he chaired the Capital Plan Review Committee.  Past service includes leadership of such legislative committees as Government Operations; Planning, Development, and Environmental Quality; and Facilities and Infrastructure; and three committees that examined functions of the County Charter.  He also has served as the Legislature’s liaison to the Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) Board of Trustees.

Legislator Jim Dennis (D) was elected Vice Chair, nominated by Nate Shinagawa, who recognized his demonstrated leadership, as chair of the budget committee and in numerous other ways.  Legislator Leslyn McBean-Clairborne (D) was nominated for Vice Chair by Carol Chock, who described her as a particularly articulate member, valuable experience as Vice Chair, who always has an open mind, listens, offers valuable perspectives, and is firmly committed to all the diverse people of this county.

Nine legislators voted for Mr. Dennis; four for Ms. McBean-Clairborne (Legislator Dave McKenna was excused.)  Mr. Dennis thanked his colleagues for their support for the position of Vice Chair and said, “I will be fair and fulfill the duties of the job to the best of my ability.”

Chair Pledges Legislature’s Commitment to Serve a Diverse Community

“It’s about the people,” said newly-elected Legislature Chair Mike Lane, delivering the Legislature Chair’s annual message—about a diverse group of County legislators working together to serve the richly diverse community of Tompkins County.”The voters have elected us to serve for four years and do the people’s business,” said Mr. Lane.  “That will take teamwork, and we will come together as a team and work in the best interest of the people”—to address and meet the needs and concerns of the full range of people with which the county is blessed.

“Against all of this, you my colleagues, have done me the honor of electing me to serve as Chair of this Legislature; and in that role, I will do my very best for each of you, as we all do our very best for all of the people,” the Chair continued.  “We will not always agree, nor should we—but we will try.  We will not always be able to do everything right—but we will try.  In debate we will not always be happy with one another, but we will give each other the benefit of every doubt, fully recognizing that each Legislator is doing his or her best for the benefit of the people she or he represents.  But in debate we must be courteous to the other members of the team, recognizing time constraints and sharing time fairly with the others.

“I need your help to form and steer our team,” Mr. Lane continued.  “I am not an executive or a mayor--I am your equal.  I will work hard for each of you, and do my best to always treat of you fairly.  As chair, I will assist our committees to steer policies that will enable our amazing staff and employees to deliver the vital services that people need, and at a cost that our taxpayers are able to afford.”

Chair Lane said he will announce committees for 2014 at the Legislature’s next meeting January 21, when he will also comment about the needs and direction of county government in difficult times.

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