County exec for Sullivan?

By DAVID HULSE

MONTICELLO, NY — Volatile issues like staggered terms for county legislators and the creation of a county executive’s position may be part of the discussion when Sullivan County takes up a mandatory charter revision process next month.

Sullivan County voters adopted the charter in November of 1993 and most portions of it went into effect in 1995, with the new legislature replacing the Board of Supervisors in 1996. The charter called for an early revision review within two years and an overall review every 10 years. “It’s about that time,” Legislative Chair Chris Cunningham said recently.

Since its creation, the legislature has never fared well with systemic procedural changes. An unsuccessful attempt to reorganize and thereby unseat then chairman Raymond Pomeroy in 1997, led to an extended court case in 1998.

When the panel got around to reviewing the charter in 1999, the issue of staggering terms for legislators was briefly considered and just as quickly dropped as the idea of incumbents needing to run an additional legislative campaign fell flat.

The charter committee moved onto another controversy with unsuccessful proposals to consolidate tax collection, eliminate local positions, and create district courts to replace town and village justice courts. Local officials provided a storm of opposition and the measures died.

Cunningham, one of three members remaining from the first 1996 panel, didn’t take any position on either issue and form a charter revision commission in June.

Leni Binder, who has survived a switch from the Democratic to Republican parties and is now a candidate for county treasurer, questioned the need for an elected county executive. “But if we get gambling, we may need one,” she added.

Rodney Gaebel, as the longest serving legislator, having served as Town of Callicoon Supervisor, saw the idea of an elected executive as expensive and dangerous. “No one is going to interview these candidates. They’ll be picked by the county [party] chairmen. If you get a competent one—fine—but if you get a bum, you’re stuck with him for four years,” he said.