A Glenville town justice vacancy created by Judge Brian Mercy’s unexpected resignation won’t last for long.
The Glenville Town Board appointed Richard Moran, a retired Glenville town justice, as an interim replacement Wednesday night.
Mercy’s last day is today, and Moran is slated to be sworn in Friday.
In submitting his resignation in late May — six months shy of completing his first four-year term — Mercy, an attorney, said the demands of the part-time judgeship interfered too much with his young family.
Moran, a Democrat, was selected from 15 applicants received during the weeklong search process.
“I think we had 15 very good and qualified applicants,” said town Supervisor Chris Koetzle, a Republican.
“The fact that Judge Moran can easily step into a role and serve for six months, obviously, because he has a very short learning curve, was probably the biggest reason as to why the committee selected his name.”
The hiring committee consisted of Town Board members Gina Wierzbowski and John Pytlovany, the committee chairs, as well as Deputy Supervisor James MacFarland, police Chief Michael Ranalli and Town Attorney Michael Cuevas.
“I think the committee felt he was the most qualified with his years of experience of actually sitting on the bench,” Koetzle said.
Moran was a Glenville town justice for seven years before retiring in 2010. Before that, he served as Scotia village justice for four years and also served as a village trustee for four years.
“To paraprase a movie, ‘I tried to quit and they pulled me back in,’ ” he joked to the board Wednesday.
Ranalli and the Town Court clerks were “very receptive” to welcoming Moran back for six months, Koetzle said.
“Judge Moran certainly knows the town, he knows the police departments, he knows the court clerks,” he said. “They’ve worked together, they know each other well.”
Moran will serve through the end of the year and will earn the rest of Mercy’s $26,220 salary for the year, which amounts to about $13,000. Voters will choose a replacement for Mercy during the November election.
Paul Davenport is the other town justice in Glenville.
Also Wednesday evening, the Town Board appointed William Purtell as the new town assessor to replace Carol Corbett, who retired last month.
Purtell will serve through Sept. 30, 2019, and earn an annual salary of $56,500.
Categories: Schenectady County
