Kevin Hines of Cornwall becomes the new
Orange County Legislative Chairman
After a year of discord and jockeying, Blooming Grove's Katie Bonelli has lost the Chair position at Legislature to longtime Cornwall Legislator Kevin Hines. Bonelli has held the top position since 2021 and represents parts of the western sections of the municipality of Blooming Grove, along with parts of Monroe, Kiryas Joel, The Village of South Blooming Grove, Palm Tree and Woodbury. Hines represents Cornwall, New Windsor and the northeast area of Blooming Grove All legislative spots will be up for grabs next November, 2025.
This morning County Executive, Steve Neuhaus issued the following statement about the changes:
GOSHEN – County Executive Steve Neuhaus
“I want to congratulate the Legislative Chairman, Kevin Hines and Majority Leader, Leigh Benton on their new roles. I also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Katie Bonelli and Tom Faggione for their hard work and all that they accomplished in 2024. I am proud of the relationship I have with the Orange County Legislature. We work closely together for the residents of Orange County as evidenced by the Legislature unanimously passing my last six budgets. I look forward to continuing to build on our success with Chairman Hines and Majority Leader Benton and the rest of the Legislature in 2025.”
Katie Bonelli, loses Legislative Chair position
Discord plagued the legislature all year, beginning with the continued attempts to redraw the lines of each of the 21 legislative districts as is required by law. These lines must be reevaluated every 10 years and the process tends to be contentious when there are significant map changes due to population changes. Tempers flared when leaders were unable to agree on the 3 maps they had promised to let the public give their opinions on. At one point a group of legislators walked out of a primary decision-making meeting, leaving no quorum to vote. When a map was finally completed many were still disgruntled about the changes to each of their districts, especially since major changes can make them lose the constituents they have worked hard for decades to represent and ensure votes from. Now they must obtain new votes from residents that they may not even know and who have issues they have to become educated about. At the time, Kevin Hines called the process "an Epic Fail!"
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT #5 HELD BY KATIE BONELLI NOTE: THE ENTIRE UNLABELED WHITE SECTION OF District #5 TO THE LEFT OF VSBG AS WELL AS PARTS TO THE RIGHYT OF IT ARE ALSO TOWN OF BLOOMING GROVE , THE BLUE SECTION CENTER ABOVE (now district/#12) IS ALSO TOWN OF BLOOMING GROVE
Then there was the Star CIO fiasco, where a group of mostly democrats called out the process of securing a new Information Technology Commissioner unethical and illegal, due to improper process of procurement for Proposals with questions of whether those legislators protesting the process and Bonelli's part on the other should be given legal assistance if it resulted in lawsuits. Bonelli felt that as Chair, her actions should have legal coverage, but that the legislators making public protests should not. This undoubtedly lost her significant support from the protestors' and their supporters.
Thirdly is the ongoing struggle in the area between the need for affordable housing and those who are unhappy about what they feel is overbuilding and its damage to the environment. It's a slippery slope to tackle because of local municipalities' extensive constitutional rights to "Home Rule", but many in both Blooming Grove and Cornwall feel that Katie Bonelli has not supported her community as much as she might have on the issue. With some of the most rural land remaining in the southern part of Orange County being located in Cornwall and Blooming Grove, the issue will be a big one for both Kevin Hines and Katie Bonelli, if she runs for office again next November. Bonelli served her community as legislator and Supervisor for decades, but people want to know how its future leaders will defend their properties, viewsheds, and environmental safety in this era of uncharted growth. Many say the braggadocio of the new teams of Planners working with towns and villages during the 90's on what they called "Smart Growth" that respects both the need for housing, the environment and wishes of existing residents has too often slipped by the wayside, leaving the longtime residents bemoaning "How can they build when there is no more water?", and many packing their bags to give up and leave.
Other changes in the leadership include Leigh Benton as leader of the Majority Party (Republican). Michael Paduch remains Leader of the Minority Party and Michael Amo, the Independence Party. Mike Anagnostakis announced his forthcoming retirement.
November, 2025 will not only bring not challenges to all legislative positions, but a reelection contest for County Executive, Steve Neuhaus, as well as Governor Kathy Hochul.
Stay tuned - Candidate announcements for these legislative, official and state elected positions are just beginning to be publicized.
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