Fredonia trustees appoint Amy Johnson as clerk 2 in code enforcement amid hiring‑freeze discussion

The Board of Trustees of the Village of Fredonia approved the appointment of Amy Johnson, of Lord Street, Dunkirk, as Clerk 2 to serve in the code enforcement office effective Dec. 17, 2025, with a six‑month probationary period and an hourly rate of $18.11 pursuant to civil service rules and regulations.

The resolution was read into the record and the appointment passed on a 3‑2 vote. Trustee Esperson voted aye; Trustee Brockler said he preferred to table the appointment given the current fiscal situation and voted no; Trustee Sarafus recorded a no vote; Trustee Wandel and Trustee Twitchell voted aye. The clerk’s resolution text and the recorded tally were entered on the meeting record.

Trustees debated whether the position should be part time or full time for an interim period and whether hiring should be subject to a village‑wide freeze. The mayor proposed a hiring freeze that would allow one‑for‑one replacements only when an employee leaves for reasons such as retirement; several trustees said current practice already effectively restricts new titles and new positions. Trustee Twitchell argued the code enforcement office needs additional staff now, saying the current workload — including inspections and clerical work — leaves the department unable to produce needed reports and that the position would help operations. Other trustees asked staff to review whether the position could be shared with fire‑department duties temporarily and to revisit staffing as the office catches up.

No changes to the appointment were made during the meeting; the board approved the appointment and instructed staff to review staffing levels and the proposed hiring‑freeze mechanics ahead of the next budget cycle.