Goshen Mayor Molly O’Donnell Resigns March 13, Remains Orange County Jurors Commissioner

Molly O’Donnell announced she will step down as mayor of the Village of Goshen effective Friday, March 13, 2026, while retaining her county job as Orange County Commissioner of Jurors; her final public Village Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 9, 2026, when the board is expected to appoint Deputy Mayor Scott Wohl to finish the term. The village posted the announcement on its Facebook page, and the board action at the March 9 meeting would install Wohl as mayor for the remainder of O’Donnell’s term.

The Village of Goshen Facebook post included a farewell statement that read in part: “It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the village of Goshen. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to serve in both roles, but I cannot hold them simultaneously. Serving this community has meant more to me than words can express, and my commitment to Goshen remains strong. I’ll see you around the village — and maybe even at jury duty!” The post framed the resignation as a personal decision tied to holding two public positions.

O’Donnell has said the move was prompted by an Orange County courts policy that prohibits holding a full‑time county courts position and a part‑time municipal office at the same time. She told local reporters she could not “hold them simultaneously,” and will continue in the Commissioner of Jurors role even after leaving the mayor’s office. Local accounts indicate O’Donnell has served in the county post since August 2024; that appointment is the basis she cited for the incompatibility.

Biographical details published in local coverage note that O’Donnell was born and raised in Goshen and was elected mayor in 2023. In public remarks reported by Mid‑Hudson News, O’Donnell credited her administration with police department accreditation, the hiring of two female police officers — the first time the department welcomed two women at once — and the forthcoming opening of Erie Street Park, which she said “will be open in a couple of months.”

Deputy Mayor Scott Wohl is expected to be appointed by the Village Board at the March 9 meeting to carry out the remainder of the mayoral term. Local reporting indicates this would be Wohl’s third time serving as Goshen mayor; village meeting minutes and election records should confirm the exact dates of his prior service. Attempts to reach O’Donnell and Wohl for immediate comment were not successful.

Some details in local reporting remain inconsistent and will need confirmation before the board meeting: accounts differ on whether O’Donnell is serving a first term elected in 2023 or a second term, the precise start date of her county appointment, and the number of times Wohl has previously served as mayor. The Village of Goshen Facebook post establishing the March 13 effective date and the board’s March 9 public meeting are the concrete milestones that set the transition timeline.

The Village Board’s action on March 9 will determine Goshen’s interim leadership through the rest of the mayoral term; O’Donnell’s Facebook farewell closed on a community note, saying she would remain committed to the village even after she steps down and might be seen “at jury duty.”