September 14th, 2017 by WCBC Radio
No time line is in place for the governor to announce the new Judge of Orphans Court for Allegany County. The seat became vacant when longtime Judge Billie Gilpin resigned due to health concerns in mid August. While with other vacancies of elected offices, the local political central committee would develop a list of candidates for the governor’s consideration that will not be the case with this seat. Jim Howell, chair of the Allegany County Republican Central Committee, told WCBC News that since there was some confusion about the process to replace a judge of Orphans Court- he checked with the governor’s appointments office last month and was told that the committee does not have the responsibility to submit a list of candidates. A spokesperson for the governor’s appointments office told WCBC that although not required, the office has reached out to the central committee and local elected officials in Allegany County for their recommendations. A number of names applications have already been submitted directly to the appointments office- including that of retired state planner and local historian Al Feldstien. Indications are that the two remaining Orphans Court Judges- Donna May and Ed Crossland- are not involved in any way in the process of replacing Gilpin.
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