Newly Elected County Legislator Could Stay on As Ilion Mayor

The newly elected Herkimer County Legislator 6th District John Stephens is also the Mayor of the Village of Ilion and now he has a decision to make.

The question at hand:  Could Stevens continue to serve as Mayor and also serve as a County Legislator?  It looks like the answer is yes.

"That question is up in arms right now," said Stevens speaking with WIBX's Bill Keeler on Tuesday morning.

Stevens will officially become a County Legislator on January 1st and he says no decision has been made yet as to what will happen to him as Mayor.  Options include finishing out his term, which runs through June, or stepping down and having a new Mayor appointed to complete his term.

While questions seem to be unanswered at this point, there is one thing that is for sure.  Stevens said he will not seek re-election in June as he feels holding both positions could be a conflict of interest.

The Village of Tupper Lake has a similar issue and that situation is resolved.  The village Mayor Paul A. Maroun is also a County Legislator there and he legally holds both positions.  Maroun ran unopposed and was re-elected to both positions earlier this month.