Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Capital Region Independent Media Coeymans Town Board member Daniel Baker has been appointed deputy town supervisor. The town has operated without a deputy supervisor for two years, during the first administration of Town Supervisor George McHugh. “This is something new,” McHugh said at the board's recent reorganizational meeting. “I didn’t do this the past two years,” McHugh said it was time to fill the position again. “When I first came back into office in January of 2020, I didn’t appoint a deputy town supervisor because I didn’t really know much about the board members at the time or who I would put in that position and if I in fact needed one,” McHugh said. As deputy supervisor Baker can fulfill the duties of supervisor in McHugh's absence. Circumstances convinced McHugh the deputy’s position was needed now. “Now that we have COVID and it’s ramping up even worse than it ever has been, there is no telling what might happen to the supervisor,” he said. “So I think it would be negligent on my part, as a supervisor, not to have a succession plan in place if, God forbid, I come down with COVID or something happens where I am out of the office and I am the only one who can sign checks or run the day-to-day operations.” The town board unanimously approved Baker's appointment. Read more in the Ravena News-herald.