After three years as chairperson of the Ulster County Legislature “it's time to turn over the gavel to someone else,” Legislator Peter Criswell (D-Kingston) told Kingston Wire in a Wednesday interview. And while he has no formal authority to designate a successor he made clear his belief that Legislator Debra Clinton (D-Gardiner) should be the one.

“I really challenged her this year giving her two committee chairs and I think she's done really well with both of them,” Criswell said. “She's been an administrator in the school system and she knows how to move difficult agendas forward. I think she'd be excellent.”

“I've been thinking about it probably since the summer,” Clinton told Kingston Wire in an interview that same day. “Thinking just in general what my role was. And when Peter hinted what he might consider we had some conversations about what that might look like. He decided that he would let everybody know after the election because he didn't want it to take away from anybody's focus on the election.”

“I anticipate keeping a lot of things in place Peter did,” Clinton said. “Then making sure that there's opportunity for all voices to be heard … making sure that the minority party has the opportunity to have a voice as well.”

As chair, and in light of turnover in the legislature in the recent election, Clinton will have the crucial job of allocating next year's committee memberships and chairpersonships. “A lot of work will go into the makeup,” she said. “It's the fundamental foundation of all the work that will happen for next year.”

“Right now I'm just trying to listen, to learn more than I already know with some of the committees that I do not currently sit on. I'll be working with all staff within the chair's office, as well as building on collaborations with the county executive, the sheriff, the district attorney.”

“There's still a whole process that needs to happen,” Clinton cautioned, noting that Criswell's support is not a dictate. “There still has to be a full caucus decision, and then ultimately a vote at session in January on the floor of the full legislature … So even though I'm talking to you about my general views there is still clearly a process that needs to go into effect.”

Clinton cited her career in public schools — “Thirty-four years in education and 20 of those, my last 20 years, as an administrator” — as good preparation for the role of chair. “I was a high school social studies teacher, taught participation in government and U.S. history and government. All of those things lend themselves, can be drawn on for the position of chair.”