Current County Legislator Kevin O’Connell is seeking community support in his campaign for reelection as District 6 legislator representing the Town of Hanover.

O’Connell has a degree in Political Science from Gannon University and is a retired special education teacher. A former small business owner, he has a history of involvement in service organizations, church groups, teachers’ associations and displayed a leadership role in all.

He started his public service involvement serving on the Town of Hanover Planning Board, was elected to two terms as Councilperson on the Hanover Town Board, the last two in the role of Deputy Supervisor. Two years ago, he was elected to the Chautauqua County Legislature. As a legislator, he serves on the Planning and Economic Development Committee and the Human Services Committee. He additionally represents the legislature as a board member of the Chautauqua County Cornell Cooperative Extension. He also is a board member of Chautauqua Opportunities Inc. serving as the vice chairperson.

According to O’Connell, “I feel these experiences provide me with the skillset necessary to serve as your county legislature.”

O’Connell believes our community faces many difficult challenges. Among them property tax relief and the cost of infrastructure repair and maintenance. “We also need to improve our business climate, encourage appropriate development and reverse the trend of population loss to one of growth. We need to protect our lakes and waterways and focus on the tourist draw they can become,” he said.

According to O’Connell, “one of our biggest challenges, is how to make government accessible and to provide the services needed by its residents while balancing the size of government with the financial limitations of its taxpayers. We further need to be accountable to the people we serve and work hard to develop a close working relationship between county government and the towns, villages, hamlets and cities it comprises.”

O’Connell added, “I am seeking reelection to this office because I want to further my goal of public service, make a positive contribution to my community and continue in the process of finding solutions to the evolving problems our community faces.”

O’Connell currently lives with his wife Mary Fran in Hanford Bay and enjoys his time working at Holiday Valley Ski resort in the winter and Tri-County Country club in the summer.