State of the County Brings Issues to Forefront

by: Bill Liblick

State of the County speeches are always a good thing, they bring to the forefront many issues facing the constituents they are meant to reach. Even though they are often slanted to promote the agenda of the person delivering the oration, they also open the door for verbal communication on issues at hand, both positive and negative.

Last week, Christopher Cunningham, chairman of the Sullivan County Legislature, delivered his State of County Address.

I will be the first to admit that much that has happened over the past year that we should be elated over. On the other hand, there is so much more that needs to be done to improve our quality of life and economic conditions.

From what I have seen so far, our new county manager David Fanslau, has been serious about turning things around at our government center. As long as the legislature allows him to do his job, I am certain he will continue.

What I found interesting in Mr. Cunningham’s speech are several of the items he highlighted in his address. He rightfully acknowledged that the Sheriff’s Patrol finally has a respectable contract. What he did not say is that the situation could have been resolved years ago if he had stepped in and done something about it. Likewise, our Legislative Chairman was silent when it came to asking the Charter Review Commission to advocate that the new County Charter mandate a Sheriff’s Patrol.

Speaking of the Charter Review, Mr. Cunningham did not state whether we would be voting on the new proposed charter during or after this November’s general election. He also did not discuss his decision to no longer support an elected fulltime County Executive. Please do not say you do not want to discuss these items, because if you did, they would influence those members on the commission.

What Mr. Cunningham did note during his speech was that the prospect of Casino Gaming was closer than ever before. Although he never supported Indian Casinos for us, Cunningham never stood in its way as chairman of the Legislature.

Of course, as expected, The Bethel Woods Center for the Performing Arts was a major part of his speech. He spoke about renewed sense of pride and the hope it brings for Sullivan County. Who could not agree with that statement?  It would have been nice if they negotiated a special handling fee with ticket sales. Sullivan County could have had an additional revenue stream.

Everyone should applaud a Green Technology Park and what it can potentially do for us. I only hope students attending Sullivan County Community will be interested in the curriculum and the jobs it will bring.  This is the kind of thinking out of the box I continually write about. 

The County has indeed made major inroads in improving budgeting and management. Our bond rating is good. Despite all of this, those in charge must be more open and display a willingness to work with all of our elected officials. A perfect example is our County Treasurer Ira Cohen, he must be included in the process. After all, he is our chief financial officer.

The devastating floods of last year are still being felt throughout our county. Although we cannot prevent Mother Nature from bringing us huge amounts of rain, we clearly have to do more planning to prevent major flooding from occurring. And, to that end, I am pleased to say that our County Government is seriously at work with a united effort.

Christopher Cunningham wants a Sullivan County Council of Governments to meet monthly about sharing services and saving taxpayer money. I have been saying this all along, we have too much government here, between towns, villages, and county and we need consolidation and combined purchasing.

Maybe a restructuring of government would achieve the goals Mr. Cunningham is speaking about. With a fully elected County Executive, a County Legislature, and perhaps elevating the Board of Supervisors, government can run more efficiently. This would be similar to the structure of government we have in Albany. The County Executive would mirror the role of the Governor, the Legislature would be like the Senate, and the Board of Supervisors would be similar to the Assembly. It is something the Charter Review Commission and Legislature must consider.

Naturally the person delivering a State of the County address will always highlight the positive, but in Sullivan County we all know there is still much which needs to be done.

Our property taxes are on the rise and we will be facing a sales tax increase as well. We all know that spending will be increased due to the need of a new County Jail. But we also know that Medicaid, and social service programs, are placing a huge burden on all of us. Let us not forget all the properties within our County which are tax exempt.

Crime is on a rise in Sullivan County, and our law enforcement agencies have united to wage a war on gangs, illegal drug sales, and guns. Sgt. Luis Alvarez of the Sheriff’s Office has been arguing for quite sometime that gangs are in Sullivan County. Finally we are doing something about it.

We all acknowledge that there is a need for affordable quality housing, and better employment opportunities in Sullivan County. Hopefully more will be accomplished on that end this year.

I honestly believe that everyone has the same common goal for Sullivan County. Although we may differ, we all want to live in a safe, secure, and prospering environment. To that end, Mr. Cunningham, even I support your efforts.

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