Shelby left scrambling after 3 board members resign

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 July 2025 at 12:12 pm

SHELBY – Three of the five Shelby Town Boards resigned last week leaving the board without a quorum to carry on town business.

Town Supervisor Scott Wengewicz and board members Jeff Schiffer and Stephen Seitz Sr. all resigned. Seitz also is the town’s deputy town supervisor. With the resignations of the three board members, the Town Board only has Linda Limina and Eddie Zelazny left.

There will be a meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Shelby fire hall where town attorney, Kathleen Bennett, will discuss the situation and possible next steps for the Town Board and government.

The board doesn’t have enough members to appoint anyone to fill the vacancies.

Wengewicz on June 24 was defeated by Jim Heminway in a Republican primary for town supervisor, 283 to 118.

Lawrence Waters Sr. and Ed Żelazny campaigned with Heminway and they defeated Michael Moriarty and Vassilios Bitsas in the Republican primary. The Republican Committee endorsed Wengewicz, Moriarty and Bitsas. Although they won the primary, the terms for office don’t start until Jan. 1, 2026.

Last year in the Town of Berne in Albany County three of the five board members resigned. The town wasn’t able to have another Town Board meeting for eight months until March 2025. Kathy Hochul needed to make an appointment to fill one of the vacancies so the Town Board could have a quorum.

In St. Lawrence County, four of the five members of the Hermon Town Board resigned in March 2024. The town was unable to carry out routine business, even paying its bills. Gov. Hochul would appoint two members on April 4, 2024 so the board could function but it needed unanimous votes among the three members for a resolution to pass.

Tuesday’s meeting in Shelby is expected to last until 6:30 p.m.

After that there will be a presentation from representatives of New Leaf Energy on their plans for two solar energy projects on Route 63. One solar project is called South Gravel Rd. Solar 1 LLC and the other is South Gravel Rd. Solar 3LLC. Both are for 5 megawatts of power.