Miller resigns from Albion Village Board

Hardware store owner set to start as county legislator

Fred Miller is shown speaking during a Democratic Party picnic in July.

ALBION – Fred Miller has resigned as trustee on the Albion Village Board so he can become an Orleans County legislator next week.

Miller, a Democrat, defeated Henry Smith for the position during last month’s election. Miller will be the lone Democrat on the seven-member County Legislature.

He also will be the first village resident from either Albion, Medina, Holley or Lyndonville on the Legislature in many years. The village of Albion hasn’t had a resident on the Legislature, despite being the county seat, since Dick Eddy about 30 years ago.

Miller said he wants to bring “a village voice” to the Legislature, as well as an independent view.

Miller considered staying on as a village trustee and also serving as a legislator. The village doesn’t forbid an elected board member from serving in another elected position, but the county doesn’t allow that.

Before the Legislature started in 1980, the county government was run by the Board of Supervisors, with the town supervisor from each of the 10 towns. The new Legislature purposely didn’t want the legislators to be serving in town or village governments. They wanted the Legislature to be more independent and less committed to any one specific community.

So Miller needed to resign from the Village Board.

Miller, the owner of Family Hardware in Albion since 1986, said he would have resigned as trustee anyway, even if he legally could do both positions.

“It would have been a lot,” he said. “It would have been too much.”

Monday was the last Legislature meeting for Smith. Two other legislators, Ken Rush of Carlton and George Bower of Holley, are retiring from the positions.

Legislature Chairman David Callard thanked the trio for their service.