Here & There Column 10-25-11

County Needs Board of Supervisors

Candidates for the Sullivan County Legislature debate the county's budget problems, economic development, the state imposed 2 percent cap on increases in the property tax level, the closed Sullivan County landfill but not one word on reducing the level of government and bringing back the Board of Supervisors.
Sullivan County taxpayers need serious help and elimination of the County Legislature form of government and replacing it with a Board of Supervisors could result in substantial savings and what appears to be a better way of communications between the county and village and town governments.
Interesting enough was conversations we have had with a number of town supervisors who indicated they are never kept in the loop and have little or no communications with legislators representing their townships.
Sullivan County once was governed by a Board of Supervisors and many folks close to this subject feel county residents were duped into believing that a Board of Supervisors form of government was not legal and the Legislature form of government was approved.
If a County Board of Supervisors is illegal then why are some counties in the State of New York still operating with this form of government? The counties in New York State that retained the old Board of Supervisors after the 1960's assigned each member a proportional vote based on the population represented.
Sullivan County towns presently pay their town supervisors and some even increased the salaries to represent what some supervisors lost when the Board of Supervisors was done away with a number of years ago. Supervisors we agree should be paid extra for also serving on a county Board of Supervisors.
Simply stated the County Legislative form of government is just another layer of government taxpayers have to pay for.
Our present economic problems have made for consolidation and reduction in government everywhere. Government has been made to bite the bullet and to cut expenses and they have been forced to so away with the business as usual approach.
Of course if you think that the present Legislature form of government is going to vote to do away with their jobs then you are having a bad dream.
The only way we would ever see another Board of Supervisors is that signed petitions must be presented to the County Legislature demanding that this issue be brought to the voters of Sullivan County.