February 3 legislative vote, special meeting, postponed

Rescheduled for next week

By DAVID HULSE

MONTICELLO, NY — When Gov. George Pataki’s office failed to meet a deadline to complete new casino legislation Wednesday afternoon, Sullivan County legislators canceled a planned Thursday afternoon special meeting that was set to consider a vote on Pataki’s proposal for siting five casinos in Sullivan County.

County Legislative Chair Chris Cunningham said, “We wanted to have something in hand to look at today, and when it didn’t arrive both Assemblywoman [Aileen] Gunther and Senator [John] Bonacic recommended that it might be better to postpone the meeting.”

Cunningham said that the special meeting will be rescheduled for next Thursday, February 10, at 3:00 p.m., if the governor's legislation is in hand then. “I’ve been assured that there are a lot of people working feverishly to complete it up in the governor’s office.”

Majority Leader Kathy LaBuda said that legislators had agreed that they will not vote until the final legislation is completed and in their hands. “There had been a 4:00 p.m. deadline and we haven’t received anything.”

LaBuda received confirmation that the legislature has submitted a list of issues they want addressed and have no reply on any of them. A requirement that the final legislation be completed prior to their vote was on that list, she said.

LaBuda and Gunther both confirmed, as reported by The River Reporter, that the county is seeking a state takeover of all Sullivan County public education costs currently funded by local property tax.

Cunningham said there have been a lot of concerns about environmental review, education funding, state agency cooperation with infrastructure, and reducing the tax loss of “in trust” properties ceded to the tribes, but he declined to detail any of them.