Chautauqua County, NY elected officials: county legislators or supervisors, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Chautauqua County: 23 seats on 5 elected bodies. 20 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County Legislature or Board of Supervisors

Chautauqua County Legislature

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Legislator, District 1Marcus S Buchanan Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Legislator, District 2Robert K Bankoski Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Legislator, District 3Robert M Scudder Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Legislator, District 4Sandra A Lewis Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Legislator, District 5Jason C Merritt Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Legislator, District 6Thomas R Harmon Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Legislator, District 7Johnathan R Penhollow Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Legislator, District 8Pierre E Chagnon Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Legislator, District 9Vacant sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Legislator, District 10Jamie S Gustafson Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Legislator, District 11Robert W Whitney Jr. Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Legislator, District 12Frederick A Larson Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Legislator, District 13Thomas M Nelson Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Legislator, District 14Daniel W Pavlock Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Legislator, District 15Lisa A Vanstrom Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Legislator, District 16Dalton J Anthony Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Legislator, District 17Travis B Heiser Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Legislator, District 18Martin J Proctor Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Legislator, District 19Frederick S Johnson Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

Official website

Also elected countywide

OfficeWho holds it now
County ExecutivePaul M Wendel Jr. Republican source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County ClerkGregory K Carlson Republican source
District AttorneyJason L Schmidt Republican source
SheriffJames B Quattrone Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Chautauqua County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 84 local governments in Chautauqua County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships (15 municipal, 27 township)420
School districts (school boards)180
Special districts (elected boards)230

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments (1 in Chautauqua County), though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Chautauqua County

125,544people
42.9median ageU.S.: 38.9
$58,351 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
17.4%below the U.S.: 12.5%
25.1%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$127,900median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.9%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.6%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.3%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
5.3%U.S.: 8.4%
49.5%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
21.2%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 9.6% · White 83.7% · Black 2.1% · Asian 0.7% · Other or more than one race 3.9% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Chautauqua County

4.4%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.2%. New York: 4.5%.
2,414people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
52,090people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
54,504in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Chautauqua County 0.0%2.2%4.4%6.6%8.8% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.4%2,41452,09054,504
August 20264.6%2,47851,32553,803
July 20264.6%2,43250,92953,361
June 20264.4%2,37151,64554,016
May 20264.5%2,38551,14253,527
April 20264.3%2,26149,85252,113
March 20265.1%2,67950,07852,757
February 20265.7%3,03950,07453,113
January 20265.4%2,86249,92252,784
December 20254.7%2,46950,40752,876
November 20254.3%2,31551,03353,348
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.2%2,24751,45353,700
August 20254.5%2,38850,65353,041
July 20254.4%2,34051,33653,676
June 20253.7%2,01552,51754,532
May 20253.4%1,81051,49553,305
April 20253.7%1,96350,41252,375
March 20254.6%2,38549,48551,870
February 20255.2%2,71449,34552,059
January 20255.0%2,61249,31351,925
December 20244.2%2,18549,37951,564
November 20243.8%1,96750,00751,974
October 20243.5%1,83350,85052,683
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.3%2,29650,67752,973
20244.1%2,17051,04153,211
20234.0%2,13151,48053,611
20223.8%2,04451,74653,790
20215.4%2,94751,39254,339
20208.4%4,60750,37054,977
20194.4%2,48954,14956,638
20184.8%2,75954,32957,088
20175.8%3,33754,36757,704
20165.7%3,33854,95258,290

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. New York's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.3% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Chautauqua County

180.2 per 100,0002024. New York: 389.1.
1,141.6 per 100,0002024. New York: 1,720.0.
7murders2024, 272 violent crimes in all.

2024 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2024272180.21,7231,141.6
2023317211.31,9621,307.9
2022330218.22,1371,413.1
2021326214.41,9901,309.1
2020306205.42,2131,485.7
2018324215.82,0531,367.7
2017316206.12,2141,444.2
2016332216.22,7681,802.1
By police agency (8)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office20252823856,704
Jamestown Police Department202518668727,461
Dunkirk Police Department20253118912,293
Fredonia Village Police Department202431599,388
Lakewood-Busti Police Department202551537,334
Ellicott Town Police Department2025111585,261
Carroll Town Police Department2025193,369
Westfield Village Police Department20253292,861

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in New York · the U.S.

Police staffing

1.72 per 1,000 residents2024, 8 agencies serving 127,055 people.
219sworn officers2024, full-time, as of October 31.
56civilian staff2024, full-time.

2024 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (8), 2024
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office764358,670
Jamestown Police Department62827,735
Dunkirk Police Department36112,348
Fredonia Village Police Department1739,388
Ellicott Town Police Department1405,270
Lakewood-Busti Police Department917,370
Westfield Village Police Department502,895
Carroll Town Police Department003,379
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20242191.72568
20222111.66588
20212021.57548
20202081.66618

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Chautauqua County County Clerk?
Gregory K Carlson (Republican) is the County Clerk of Chautauqua County, New York.
Who is the Chautauqua County District Attorney?
Jason L Schmidt (Republican) is the District Attorney of Chautauqua County, New York.
Who is the Chautauqua County Sheriff?
James B Quattrone (Republican) is the Sheriff of Chautauqua County, New York. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Chautauqua County commissioners?
Paul M Wendel Jr. (County Executive); Marcus S Buchanan (County Legislator, District 1); Robert K Bankoski (County Legislator, District 2); Robert M Scudder (County Legislator, District 3); Sandra A Lewis (County Legislator, District 4); Jason C Merritt (County Legislator, District 5); Thomas R Harmon (County Legislator, District 6); Johnathan R Penhollow (County Legislator, District 7); Pierre E Chagnon (County Legislator, District 8); Jamie S Gustafson (County Legislator, District 10); Robert W Whitney Jr. (County Legislator, District 11); Frederick A Larson (County Legislator, District 12); Thomas M Nelson (County Legislator, District 13); Daniel W Pavlock (County Legislator, District 14); Lisa A Vanstrom (County Legislator, District 15); Dalton J Anthony (County Legislator, District 16); Travis B Heiser (County Legislator, District 17); Martin J Proctor (County Legislator, District 18); Frederick S Johnson (County Legislator, District 19).
What is the population of Chautauqua County?
About 125,544 people, with a median age of 42.9; the median household income is $58,351 and 17.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Chautauqua County?
4.4% in September 2026 (preliminary): 2,414 people unemployed in a labor force of 54,504, against 4.2% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Chautauqua County?
84 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 15 municipal, 27 township, 18 school district and 23 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from each county's own website (its legislature, elected-officials and board of elections pages and rosters); in New York City, the City Council's member list and the NYC Board of Elections' certified 2023 and 2025 results; officials appointed since a page was posted may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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