Tilly Potash was elected speaker of the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates at the body's organizational meeting, and Dan Gessen was elected deputy speaker. Owen Fletcher was later elected clerk. The assembly also approved its calendar of business and accepted a corrected capital budget submitted by the clerk's office.
The leadership elections were held by roll call after nominations were offered from the floor. Delegate Elliot O'Malley nominated Potash for speaker; the chair closed nominations and conducted a roll-call vote. The chair announced that Potash received 14 yes votes with one delegate absent and declared her elected. After her swearing and remarks, delegates nominated and elected Dan Gessen as deputy speaker in a subsequent roll call (14 of 15 yes). Later in the meeting delegates voted to elect Owen Fletcher as clerk; the chair announced 15 yes votes for that election.
The assembly then moved to routine organizational business. A motion to approve the calendar of business passed on roll call: the chair reported 14 delegates voting yes, representing 89.07% of the county population, with one delegate absent (10.93%). The clerk also presented a corrected copy of the capital budget, described as a resubmission to include a previously omitted dredge project; the clerk said the corrected capital budget will be entered as the first document of the 2025 session.
Speaker Tilly Potash thanked delegates and set expectations for leadership meetings, saying she would pay close attention to members' ideas and hold weekly leadership meetings with county administration. Newly elected deputies and the clerk also offered brief remarks after their elections.
Votes at a glance:
- Election of Speaker Tilly Potash: announced result 14 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain, 1 absent; outcome: approved.
- Election of Deputy Speaker Dan Gessen: announced result 14 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain, 1 absent; outcome: approved.
- Election of Clerk Owen Fletcher: announced result 15 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain; outcome: approved.
- Approval of calendar of business: announced result 14 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain, 1 absent; outcome: approved.
- Acceptance/resubmission of corrected capital budget: accepted and entered as document 1 of the 2025 session.
The meeting proceeded to presentations and committee matters after the organizational votes. No ordinances or resolutions were adopted at this meeting.