Richard Moy retires after 24 years as Clarendon town supervisor

Photo by Tom Rivers: Richard Moy is shown with State Sen. Robert Ortt after the Kendall carnival on June 26.

CLARENDON – Richard Moy, the dean of the town supervisors in Orleans County, has retired after 24 years of leading the Clarendon town government.

Moy stepped back from the position on May 31. Marc Major, a Clarendon town councilman, is serving as acting town supervisor for the rest of Moy’s term through Dec. 31. Frederick Seeman III was appointed to fill Major’s spot as councilman with the term to expire Dec. 31.

Moy led the town is adding several new water districts, with public water extended into the town through districts 6 through 13.

“Only a small part of town that isn’t covered with public water,” Moy said. “It’s in the works, we just haven’t got the grant money. That’s a lot of work, let me tell you.”

Moy said he tried hard to keep town taxes in check. When he started the town tax rate was $.519 per $1,000 of assessed property. In 2025, the rate is $4.29.

Before becoming town supervisor, Moy was one of three assessors for Clarendon. He did that for six years. He also worked for Kodak for 34 years as a manager.

Moy said his experience at Kodak helped him as the town chief financial officer and with managing the town employees.

Moy said Clarendon has very dedicated employees, and he will miss the camaraderie at the town hall.

Richard Moy

“The staff at our town is just outstanding, every one of them,” he said. “That’s what I’ll miss the most – working with those people. They are the best of the best.”

Moy, 82, said he has been working steady for more than seven decades. It started with a paper route when was 10 and had 125 customers.

“It’s been 72 years of work,” Moy said. “It’s time to quit.”

Moy is proud of his Clarendon roots, which go all the way back to the town’s founder, Eldridge Farwell. Moy’s uncle, Jake May, was the town supervisor when Moy was a child.

“I’ve been going to town board meetings since I was a young kid,” he said.

Many people don’t relish board meetings, but Moy enjoyed the process, and helping to move Clarendon forward.

“I like to know what’s going on,” he said. “In that job you get to know what’s going on and see how government works. Very few people know it and all the rules and what people can do.”

Moy sees an engaged community that turns out for events, including the lighted Christmas parade. Moy and his wife Sady decorated a golf cart in lights and rode in that parade from the Clarendon fire hall to the town museum next to the town hall.

That route goes by the old stone store from the 1840s, a building in disrepair that the town purchased in 2018, and is now better maintained for the town historian’s records and collection.

Moy said the town is in good hands with Major as town supervisor.

“He is very detail oriented,” Moy said. “He does his research. I think he’ll do very well.”