MONTICELLO, NY — At a special meeting at the government center on January 30 the Sullivan County Legislature took up the matter of the county’s contract with the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development.  The lawmakers discussed a resolution from the previous meeting and amended it. The amended resolution would provide for the county to give $100,000 to the Partnership for Economic Development rather that $125,000 which has been the practice in the past.

Legislator Joe Perrello asked, “Shouldn’t this go through the [Economic Development] Committee?”

County chair Robert Doherty responded, “We’re changing the funding because we pay $125,000 , the IDA [Industrial Development Agency] pays $75,000. The IDA is willing to pay $100,000 and we’ll pay $100,000, so we’re saving the taxpayer money.”

Legislator Ira Steingart said he was still chair of the IDA, and the board didn’t vote on the matter. He asked, “How do you know they will spend the additional money?”

Doherty said, I spoke to [IDA attorney] Walter Garigliano about it.”

“Walter Garigliano is legal for the IDA, period,” said Perrello, a member of the IDA board. “He makes no decisions for the IDA, doesn’t tell us how to spend our money.”

A bit later in the conversation Steingart said, “Here I’m the chairman [of the IDA] and I didn’t even know about it. These things behind closed doors need to stop.” But Steingart said he would vote in favor because the partnership needs the money.

The vote was eight to nothing in favor of the resolution.