County Residents Will
Pick New Treasurer

By Matthew Youngfrau and Dan Hust
MONTICELLO — September 15, 2000 – County legislators initiated a flurry of activity yesterday at the government center in Monticello when, in an Executive Committee meeting, they unanimously decided to put the soon-to-be-vacant county treasurer’s post up for public vote.
In the morning meeting, all nine legislators agreed that the best way to determine who gets County Treasurer Dan Briggs’ position after he becomes county manager is to let the residents of Sullivan County decide.
“It should be the people’s vote,” said Legislator Rodney Gaebel, who noted that public reaction in the past few days has strongly favored a public election of a county treasurer.
Legislator Chris Cunningham, a Democrat who would like to be the county treasurer, agreed.
“Lots of people feel the same way,” he said, adding that he still plans to run for the position.
Legislators met in a mid-afternoon emergency session yesterday to have Briggs sign his four-year employment contract to be county manager (at an annual salary of $89,000) and resign his post as treasurer, followed by ratification of that contract by the legislature.
According to law, if the treasurer resigns before September 20 of this year, an election must be held during the next general election (in this case, November 7) to pick a new treasurer to fill the unexpired term. Thus, since Briggs’ resignation will be made official either Monday or Tuesday, the various political committees of the county will be meeting early next week to pick their candidates for the job.
Due to time constraints, Legislature Chair Rusty Pomeroy, citing state election law, said no petitions would be necessary. However, candidates for the post will have two weeks following Briggs’ official resignation to file for a place on this November’s ballot, which should be around October 2 or 3.
At press time, no candidates had been announced, but it is possible Cunningham will be the Democrats’ nominee, and current Deputy Treasurer Olga Parlow will be the pick of the Republicans.
Whoever is elected as county treasurer will only serve one year, which is the length of Briggs’ unexpired term. Another election will have to be held in November of 2001.