Submitted Photo Pictured above from left, Stephen Abdella, retiring County Attorney for the Chautauqua County Law Department; Patrick Slagle, incoming County Attorney; and PJ Wendel, Chautauqua County Executive.

MAYVILLE — County Executive Paul M. Wendel Jr. has announced the appointment of Patrick Slagle as the new county attorney for the Chautauqua County Law Department.

Slagle will begin his new position in January 2023 and he will replace current County Attorney Stephen Abdella, who will be retiring from the position on or about January 1, 2023.

Slagle has served as first assistant county attorney for the Chautauqua County Law Department since February 2022 and previously was an assistant social services attorney with the Chautauqua County Department of Health and Human Services.

As first assistant county attorney, Slagle drafts and negotiates contracts, and renders legal opinions for various county departments. He also works closely with the Chautauqua County Department of Human Resources and the five recognized labor unions in county government to negotiate collective bargaining agreements and to address and resolve disciplinary procedures and grievances. Slagle also assumes the duties of the county attorney in his absence and has been an integral role with the department’s policy decisions and budgetary planning.

“I am excited to announce Patrick Slagle as our new county attorney,” said Wendel. “I am proud to promote someone who has worked his way up in our organization as I believe his experience, dedication and hard work will continue to be an asset to his department and Chautauqua County.”

Prior to his tenure with the County, Slagle was a supervising attorney at Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. from 2009 to 2019. He is also a current member of the Jamestown Bar Association, New York State School Board Association and Jamestown Public Schools Board of Education.

“As a lifelong resident of Chautauqua County and the Jamestown community, and as a practicing attorney for over 10 years, I look forward to serving as County Attorney in a community that has always been very important to me,” Slagle said.

Slagle graduated from Jamestown High School, and earned his associate’s degree in political science from Jamestown Community College and his bachelor’s degree in political science from the State University at Brockport. He also earned his Doctorate’s Degree in Law at the University at Buffalo Law School and is admitted to practice law in the state of New York.

He lives in Jamestown with his wife and their two children.