Liz Beavers
Cumberland Times-News
July 15, 2008 11:49 am
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WESTERNPORT - Former Commissioner Charles Richard "Dick" Legge and former council candidate Harold Simpson were unanimously approved Monday evening to fill the two vacant seats on the Westernport Town Council.
One of the seats, formerly occupied by then-Finance Commissioner Amel Morris, has been vacant since Morris was elected and sworn into the office of mayor on June 2.
The second seat, formerly occupied by then-Police Commissioner Tammy Kady, has only been vacant since June 30, when Kady resigned due to health reasons. At that time, Morris pledged to have the seats filled at Monday's regularly-scheduled meeting.
"As you know, we have two vacancies on the commission. Do we have a motion to do something about it?" Morris asked as the meeting opened Monday.
Commissioner Richard "Pete" Davis made the motion to appoint Legge and Simpson, and Commissioner J. Thomas "Tuck" Martin seconded it.
Simpson, who ran for one of two positions on the council on May 27, came in third behind Davis and Martin. Legge, whose seat came open this year, did not run for re-election.
"I'd like to thank Commissioner Legge for coming back for a couple more years of service," Morris said Monday, adding that he also "has great faith that Commissioner Simpson will work out well" for the benefit of the Town of Westernport.
Allegany County Clerk of the Court Dawne Lindsey administered the oath of office and the two new officials took their seats.
Legge will serve as police commissioner, while Simpson will serve as finance commissioner. They join Martin, who is serving as water commissioner, and Davis, as streets commissioner.
Legge wasted no time in wanting to get back into the swing of things, asking for a meeting with the mayor "to run some ideas past him about the police department ... about how we want to go and in what direction."
Simpson vowed to "do my best to do the job of finance commissioner and anything else I can do to help the town."
Contact Liz Beavers at lbeavers@times-news.com.
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