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Shawna Black elected chair of Tompkins County Legislature; Deborah Dawson chosen vice chair
Summary
At its first meeting of 2026 the Tompkins County Legislature elected Shawna Black chair (13–3 over Mike Sigler) and unanimously elected Deborah Dawson vice chair (16–0); both made brief remarks about priorities for the year.
Legislators selected Shawna Black as the Tompkins County Legislature chair and Deborah Dawson as vice chair during the Jan. 6 organizational meeting. Black won the chair contest after paper ballots were tallied; the clerk announced 13 votes for Black and 3 for Mike Sigler. The vice‑chair vote was unanimous, 16–0, in favor of Deborah Dawson.
After her election, Chair Shawna Black thanked colleagues and outlined priorities including support for county staff and community well‑being. Vice Chair Deborah Dawson said she intends to "shepherd and integrate our 8 new legislators" and emphasized collaboration as a top priority. The elections followed the temporary chair appointment and standard organizational procedures for the legislature’s first meeting.
