TRR photo by David Hulse Members of the Sullivan County Legislature and staff are pictured after their first regular meeting of 2003. From the left, standing, are legislators: Jim Carnell, Jodi Goodman, Greg Goldstein, Rodney Gaebel, Robert Kunis, Chris Cunningham, Kathy LaBuda and Don Trotta. Seated, from the left, are Deputy Clerk, Deniese Harting, Chair, Leni Binder, and Clerk AnnMarie Martin. (Click for larger image)

Protection in new casino lobbyist?

By DAVID HULSE

MONTICELLO, NY — What looked like a sure thing turned into a wait and see on January 23, when Sullivan County legislators tabled the selection of a new Albany lobbying firm to oversee county interests as Indian gaming decisions are pondered in the capital.

Chair Leni Binder (R-7) said the committee now wants to talk to more candidates before making a final decision.

A week earlier, the process seemed to be a lock for the firm of Girvin and Ferlazzo. Despite Democratic opposition, Majority Leader Rodney Gaebel (RC-5) then said lobbyists were needed, if only to protect Sullivan’s existing host community agreements from being overturned by the approval of a casino operated by a tribe which has no such agreement.

Meeting in their Executive Committee last week, the 7-2 Republican majority appeared to be solidly in favor of a contract with Girvin and Ferlazzo. The contract would run for six months at $5,000 per month. The decision was tabled to allow members to interview firm representatives at a January 21 meeting.

At the earlier session, Democrats Kathy LaBuda (D-2) and Chris Cunningham (DC-1) argued that the county could neither afford nor trust lobbyists.

“It’s a sorry situation if we can’t get our message to the governor without spending $5,000 a month,” Cunningham said.

Binder called Cunningham’s position “noble but lacking in reality.”

Gaebel argued that the Oneida tribe, which was the first to consider Sullivan in 1994 and pulled out after disagreements over its Monticello Raceway proposal, remains in a strong position in Albany and is now “trying to come in the back door,” again.

The Oneidas, who have a land claim settlement pending with the state, could forge a deal with Albany, without Sullivan’s consent, thus leaving the county without any host benefits. The move would also endanger the two benefit packages already in place, he said.

The Seneca tribe got a similar agreement for its Niagara Falls casino, leaving local government without any host benefit deal.