There has been a lot of talk over the past month surrounding the election of the new mayor in Gouverneur. Christopher Miller was convicted of a few criminal offenses in his past, leading some to wonder whether he should have been allowed to run for a village position. Our Cara Thomas tells us how the mayor's election is justified by law.

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GOUVERNEUR, N.Y. -- It was an exciting time for Christopher Miller back in August when he was selected in the Gouverneur village caucus as the Democratic candidate for village mayor. And then in November, when he won the election. But soon after being elected, information surfaced in the media regarding Miller's past. Convictions for possession of a controlled substance and forgery from 2004.

Miller said, "There's definitely a past there, things that I'm not proud of. But I've learned from them, they've turned me into who I am today. And I'm very proud of who I am today."

And while Miller says he never hid his past during the election, some people were taken back by the news. The St. Lawrence County Board of Elections says many people called their office with complaints and inquires, but they say background checks are not under their responsibilities.

Thomas Nichols, the Republican Commissioner of Elections, said, "Our job is to make sure the rules are followed for people to get elected. What they do during their campaigns is up to them and it's up to the people to ask questions and do background research."

Miller and the commissioners at the St. Lawrence County Board of Elections say there is no law keeping someone with a criminal past from being elected as mayor. But the commissioners say this will probably be a question more people will ask next election season.

"There are certain offices that can't have someone who was convicted of a felony, such as town justice or any justice position, but as far as mayor, there is no restriction," said Jennie Bacon, the Democratic Commissioner of Elections.

Because of his past, Miller is unable to sign checks for the village, but he says that isn't a main responsibility of the mayor. The village clerk and treasurer take care of those matters.

"I'm not going anywhere. There's nothing that's keeping me from doing any part of my job. We're a fully functioning office and we're going to continue to be that way," said Miller.

Miller says there are a lot of projects on the table for Gouverneur that he hopes will start soon.