Brescia unopposed in two races

Earns GOP backing for town supervisor

By Nadine Cafaro
Posted 3/1/23

L. Stephen Brescia, the Village of Montgomery’s longest-serving mayor, and Orange County Legislator, also wants to wants to be Town of Montgomery Supervisor.

At the moment, at least, he is …

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Brescia unopposed in two races

Earns GOP backing for town supervisor

Posted

L. Stephen Brescia, the Village of Montgomery’s longest-serving mayor, and Orange County Legislator, also wants to wants to be Town of Montgomery Supervisor.

At the moment, at least, he is running unopposed for both offices in two separate elections on two different days. The village election takes place on March 21. Town of Montgomery voters go to the polls in November to elect two council members and a town supervisor.

Brescia, who was first elected Village of Montgomery mayor in 1990, received the backing of the Town of Montgomery Republican Committee last week. If elected supervisor, he would succeed Ronald Feller who was appointed on Dec. 31, 2022 to fill the remainder of Brian Maher’s second term. Maher, who had served three years as town supervisor, was elected to the New York State Assembly last November.

If Brescia is elected as supervisor, he’d have to give up the legislative seat he’s held since 1994, per state law. His 9th district currently serves the Town of Wallkill, Villages of Maybrook and Montgomery and portions of the Town of Montgomery. It’s also assumed he’d vacate his spot as mayor.

Brescia chaired the Orange County Legislature from 2014 and served as a member of the Orange County Industrial Development Agency. He stepped down from both in 2021 following a corruption probe that accused the IDA of negligence in its oversight Legislator Katie Bonelli, his successor as chair, also revealed that a sexual harassment claim against Brescia was made by a county employee.

While stepping away from the chair, Brescia was re-elected to the legislature later that year.

In 2020, he unsuccessfully challenged Incumbent James Skoufis for his seat in the State Senate.

Brescia did not respond to multiple requests for comment.