Hoehmann May Be Able To Run For Clarkstown Supervisor Again

CLARKSTOWN, NY — Agreeing with Town Supervisor George Hoehmann and Councilman Donald Franchino that the term-limits law they promoted and passed in 2014 was illegal, an appellate panel of the New York State Supreme Court reversed a lower court decision keeping that law in place.

That means Hoehmann could seek election in November to a third term as town supervisor.

Hoehmann and Franchino challenged their law in 2022 but failed to get it repealed. In the subsequent lawsuit, along with resident Tom Foley, they argued among other things that under state rules, it should have been subject to a referendum.

Judge Amy Puerto rejected their argument that not being able to run for a third term constituted "a continuing harm" and that the law was also invalid because it required a super-majority vote for repeal.

They appealed.

Three out of four of the judges on the panel agreed with Hoehmann and Franchino, saying the law was so flawed that it "imposed a continuing illegal infringement on the rights of future members of the Town Board, and a continuing infringement upon the rights of the voters."

Councilmen Patrick Carroll and Frank Borelli, who support the term limits law, will go to the state Court of Appeals, The Journal News reported.

If the full court upholds the appellate panel, Hoehmann will be on the ballot — as is county GOP Chairman Lawrence Garvey, whose place there has been the subject of much legal fighting also involving Clarkstown Justice Scott Ugell and accusations of election fraud by local Democrats, according to TJN.

Read the full report at lohud.com here.