ALEXANDRIA BAY — The Village Board of Trustees earlier this month appointed former trustee Cynthia M. Penn as the interim mayor.
“She was appointed to fill the position until the general election this fall,” said Mark H. Reynolds, the village’s deputy mayor.
Village Clerk Molly B. Briere said the board held a special meeting June 5 when they gave her the position. The board also officially accepted Danielle L. Miller’s resignation as mayor June 13. Mrs. Miller stepped down last month due to personal health issues.
Mrs. Penn, who served as deputy mayor from 2012 to 2016, said she offered to fill the position because she felt the village needed a complete, five-member board.
“I’m concerned about the village and thought it was the right thing to do,” she said. “I was very happy that they had trust in appointing me.”
While village boards typically appoint an active trustee to fill a vacant mayor position, Mr. Reynolds said the board did not want to leave a vacant seat on the board.
“We’re trying to keep some kind of consensus on the board,” he said.
Both Mr. Reynolds and Trustee Nicholas R. Speach are running for mayor in the November election. Both Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Speach ran for mayor in 2015, and Mr. Speach also ran for the position in 2013.
Mrs. Penn said she has no intention of competing to keep the position after this year.
“I’ve been on the board for five years and thought that was enough,” she said. “I want to spend more time with my family and grandchildren.”