Brescia abruptly resigns as Orange County Legislature chairman but plans to keep his seat

Orange County Legislature Chairman Steve Brescia abruptly resigned his leadership post Friday with three months to go in what was expected to be his final year as chairman. 

The Montgomery Republican submitted a two-sentence resignation letter that gave no explanation and said he would keep his seat on the 21-member Legislature. Katie Bonelli, the Blooming Grove Republican who leads the 15-member majority caucus, will replace Brescia as chairman until the end of the year. 

Brescia had led the legislature for eight years and held his seat since 1994, making him its longest-serving member. He also has been mayor of the village of Montgomery since 1990 and had long served on the oversight board of the Orange County Industrial Development Agency. 

He and all six other IDA board members were replaced in March at the outset of a corruption probe that ultimately found their oversight to be grossly negligent, allowing a contractor to rack up huge payments. Democrats had called for his removal as Legislature chairman after that scandal erupted, and Brescia said he would not seek another year in that post in January – if he’s re-elected. 

All 21 Legislature seats, including Brescia’s, are up for election for four-year terms in November. Brescia represents the 9th District, which takes in parts of the towns of Montgomery and Wallkill. His Democratic challenger is Fran Fox-Pizzonia. 

Brescia’s salary as chairman – and now Bonelli’s – was $50,000 a year. Base pay for a legislator with no leadership title is $30,000. 

cmckenna@th-record.com