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Town Supervisor Alex Jamieson pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in Albany County Court on Tuesday, agreeing to repay the state $5,695 in unemployment payments that he improperly collected and resign his $79,000-a-year Chester job as part of a plea deal with the state Attorney General’s Office.

Jamieson, who was charged in May with a felony charge of grand larceny and 22 felony counts of offering a false instrument for filing, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of the false instrument charge, according to the Attorney General’s Office. He is expected to be sentenced to a conditional discharge with no jail or prison time.

As a condition of his plea, Jamieson, 54, agreed to resign on or before his sentencing on Nov. 20.

Jamieson entered his plea before Albany County Court Judge Peter Lynch. He did not respond to two phone calls from the Times Herald-Record, and it was not immediately clear when he would resign and who would replace him.

Deputy Supervisor Robert Valentine and other members of the Town Board did not return a call left for them with the town clerk.

Once Jamieson resigns, the Chester Town Board will appoint a replacement who will serve out his term that runs through 2019. Sept. 20 was the deadline for the supervisor position to be on the ballot in November.

Jamieson has been supervisor since the start of 2014 and is serving a four-year term. State authorities accused Jamieson - who was a councilman before he was appointed supervisor to fill a vacancy - of improperly collecting unemployment benefits in 2013 and 2014 while being paid as a town official.

Jamieson garnered additional notoriety earlier this month when he told the Times Herald-Record that Chester was buying up as much land as possible to keep unwanted future Hasidic development in check. His comments drew sharp condemnation from public officials and members of the Jewish community who characterized them as anti-Semitic.

On Tuesday, Preserve Chester, a bipartisan citizen’s group, welcomed Jamieson’s impending resignation and said it was good for the town.

“It is sad he had to be forced out and it appears he was using his position as a bargaining chip,” said Stephen Keahon, cofounder of Preserve Chester. “Preserve Chester looks forward to getting back to work with whoever takes over in his place.”

http://www.recordonline.com/news/20180925/chester-supervisor-jamieson-pleads-guilty-will-resign