HERE & THERE COLUMN

Folks Liked Board of Supervisors


  Remember the Sullivan County Board of Supervisors?
  As we quietly sit back and watch government get larger and larger we began remembering that our county had a pretty good form of government under the former board of supervisors.
  Then those so-called brilliant minds coordinated efforts to change the board of supervisors and elect legislators from legislative districts.
  That of course meant that not only would we still have town supervisors but we would add another layer of government that an already overly taxed population would have to pay for.

  Those supporting the new layer of government gave indications that the county supervisors weighted voting form of government was not legal (if it was not legal then why does our neighboring Delaware County exist today with a weighted voting board of supervisors)?
  Now the Sullivan Charter Review Commission is considering recommending the addition of an elected county executive to replace our appointed county manager.
  Nothing more than another layer of government. We don't need it.
  In our travels throughout Sullivan County during the past month we asked the folks their opinion on having a board of supervisors or a county legislature with an elected county executive.
  The majority told me they favored the supervisors and not the legislators and the reason why is that supervisors are more responsive to town folks....some town supervisors in the past even told me they have never seen their legislator at a town board meeting.
  A board of supervisors with an appointed county manager (administrator) makes for a more financially acceptable form of government.

  Bet you'll never hear that from the Sullivan Charter Review Commission.