Include Ira Cohen in Financial Process

by: Bill Liblick

Sullivan County voters elected Ira Cohen as our Treasurer. Under our charter, he is the person responsible for our fiduciary matters.

One would think that our Legislature would include our elected Chief Financial Officer in all of Sullivan County’s business decisions. One would think that Christopher Cunningham Chairman of our Legislature would be pro-active and pick Ira Cohen’s brain when it comes to our budget making process.

Well - think again.

I was shocked when County Treasurer Ira Cohen told me on my radio show that the Legislature has total disregard for his office when it comes to county spending, planning, or finances.

Our County is busy hiring outside auditors and financial planners, and they continually keep Ira Cohen in the dark. Cunningham and his gang do not possess the human decency and common courtesy to discuss these matters with our solely elected financial professional.

Cohen justly made the case that he should be included in such items as the economics of a $100 million new county jail, the landfill, and a Green Park for the College.

None of us should be surprised with this news. Those in control of our Legislature continually lack the ability to fix our government, and do what is in our best interests.

Ira Cohen brings to the table experience not only in finance, but in law as well. He knows Sullivan County government inside and out. Instead of utilizing the vast services Cohen can offer us, he is instead shut out of the governmental process. Great job Mr. Cunningham.

In fact, Legislator Jonathan Rouis, chairman of the Legislature’s Finance Committee, rarely speaks with Cohen on business matters facing our county. One would think Rouis would insist that Cohen be involved with all functions of his committee.

Instead, Rouis has the audacity to tell the Charter Review Commission, that our Treasurer should be appointed by the Legislature and not be elected by the voters of Sullivan County. It appears Rouis supports a government that is less open. He wants to remove you the voter from the process.

Sullivan County leaders must be inclusive of our elected officials whether they like them or not. That is how government should work. Not tightening the ropes of the process Mr. Rouis.

Every taxpayer, voter, and resident in Sullivan County should be outraged how our Legislature treats our elected County Treasurer with such disrespect. It is a slap in the face to all of us, and it must change. We are all sick and tired of business as usual in Sullivan County. We need to begin to use all of our resources and talents. It should start with Ira Cohen.

The irony here is that Ira Cohen, Christopher Cunningham, Jonathan Rouis and the gang in power are all Democrats. Republican members Leni Binder and Jodi Goodman have a great working relationship with Cohen. In fact, it was Leni Binder who ran against Cohen. She is the one who should be cold to him, not his fellow Democrats.

Personalities, self-motivations, and closed-door decision making is what rules in Sullivan County. If that is not the case, then it must be because those in charge of our government are just plain dumb.

What is the excuse Mr. Cunningham and Mr. Rouis for not including our elected County Treasurer Ira Cohen in our financial process? Why would you rather spend and allocate monies without first checking in with and including our elected chief financial officer? Why would you not insist that our County Manager work hand and hand with Ira Cohen? Say it, because you don’t have to.

The answer should not be something like we don’t have to, or his role is to collect taxes and our job is to run county government. Maybe the response should be something like it did not even cross our minds to include Ira Cohen, and we will correct that error immediately. Begin to think and act out of the box Mr. Cunningham.

Look, we have a County Treasurer who wants to roll up his sleeves and assist in rebuilding our County Government, by ignoring his services is nothing more than a slap in the face to all Sullivan County residents. It is totally negligent to continually conduct business like this.

Ira Cohen is a brilliant, well talented person. He has been a vocal critic of tax-exempt properties in Sullivan County. Because recent court interpretations of state law have allowed so many properties be taken off the tax rolls, Cohen is writing legislation that he plans to bring to Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther and State Senator John Bonacic to sponsor in Albany. He feels that the original intent of the law is far different than what it is being used for today, and therefore it must be changed.

Just imagine all the good Ira Cohen could do for us in Sullivan County if you just ask him to work with you Mr. Cunningham and Mr. Rouis.

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