LEE — Patricia Carlino, a 24-year veteran of the Lee Selectboard, will be its next chair. On Tuesday night, Carlino was nominated by Selectman Sean Regnier to fill the chair vacancy created by David Consolati’s defeat to Bob Jones. She faced no opposition from any other members.
“It allows me to maybe explore more issues I wouldn’t normally explore on my own,” Carlino said in an interview with The Edge. “There’s a lot of work to do.”
On Monday, Bob Jones’s victory over incumbent David Consolati marked the second election in a row where an incumbent was defeated. For Carlino, the changes are jarring. “It’s somewhat disturbing, but also I understand where the people of Lee are coming from,” she added.
With Consolati’s defeat, Carlino is the last remaining selectboard member to have voted in support of the GE PCB Proposal. That plan, proposed by GE and the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, would give the town $25 million and locate a PCB dump at the former Lane Construction quarry, now known as the Upland Disposal Facility.
The plan has drawn the ire and anger of Lee citizens, prompting organizing in all forms from Facebook groups to political campaigns. In 2020, Sean Regnier defeated then incumbent selectboard chairman Thomas Wickham, capitalizing on the anger over the deal.
Criticism over the deal has continued with some bringing suit against Carlino, Wickham, and Consolati, alleging they violated the state’s open meeting laws while accusing the members of “abuse of their discretion in their capacity as public servants.” The lawsuit can be viewed here. One of the plaintiffs is Jones.
“It’s in the courts — there’s not a lot we can do at this point,” Carlino stated. “I don’t know that it’s fair [criticism over the plan], but it’s the democratic process and they have a right to do that.”
For Carlino, who is up for reelection next year, the shift in the Board’s makeup has her thinking about her own political future. While noncommittal on any plans for retirement or running again, Carlino confirmed, “I have thought about it [retirement]. This will be 24 years I am going into. I’d like to see other younger people on the board. I’ll be thinking about it.”
The PCB Dump isn’t the only item on Carlino’s agenda. “We’re looking at hopefully some new innovations in our police department, which would be a nice boost. We’re looking to get some of our infrastructure finished … we’d like to see the Price Chopper area, something done there, and the Eagle Mill, I’d like to see that come to fruition.”
Carlino feels grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve Lee. “It’s still the only place I want to live.”
The next selectboard meeting will take place on June 1 at 7 p.m., with additional details still to be determined. Lee’s annual town meeting is still slated for June 24 after being postponed.
