It's official: Stout elected Orangeville supervisor

ORANGEVILLE — Gerald Stout has been elected town supervisor, according to the Wyoming County Board of Elections.

Final results released Wednesday show Stout defeated incumbent Supervisor Susan May 297-291 after absentee ballots were counted. The pair were initially tied after Nov. 8 voting.


Stout, 68, ran as an independent against May, who had gained the Republican and Democratic endorsements. He ran on a platform of re-uniting the town in the face of its ongoing Stony Creek Wind Farm controversy.

The Town Board approved the project’s special use permit and host community agreement on Aug. 11. Stout has said he will work to ensure the Invenergy corporation sticks to its agreements and promises.

Stout — who has traditionally ran as a Republican — served more than 20 years as Wyoming County district attorney before retiring this past January. He was on the state Attorney General’s Office task force that examined ethics issues involving wind development.

The wind debate wasn’t his sole reason for seeking the supervisor position. He also wanted to develop a long-range economic plan; create a long-range plan for maintaining the highways; and work for more transparency on the Town Board.

All other town winners remained the same, according to final results announced Wednesday.

In a close town council race, incumbents Hans Boxler Jr. and Andrew J. Flint were re-elected with 320 and 295 votes respectively. They ran on the Democratic, Republican and Taxpayer First tickets.

Challengers Mary Jo Hopkins and Steven Moultrup received 289 and 264 votes respectively. They ran on the People First tickets.

.