Budget passed

By Dan Hust
MONTICELLO – The proposed Sullivan County budget for 2010 squeaked past a Legislature vote yesterday.
Only five of the nine legislators gave their assent, bringing the county very close to adoption of County Manager David Fanslau’s original proposal.
Instead, the proposed 49 layoffs have been nearly cut in half to 26, though if one factors in the layoffs coming with the closure of the landfill on December 31, that number rises to 37 full-timers and one part-timer.
Fanslau’s original $191.12 million budget proposal has fallen under this just-adopted budget to $190.99 million, but the anticipated tax levy increase has risen, from 5 percent to 5.84 percent.
Legislators Jonathan Rouis, Ron Hiatt, Leni Binder, Elwin Wood and Jodi Goodman voted in favor of the proposal, though they admitted to still not being happy with it.
Legislators Frank Armstrong, Kathy LaBuda, David Sager and Alan Sorensen voted “no,” most because they felt uncomfortable with the numbers and/or kept out of the budget creation process.
Part of yesterday’s meeting also included a split vote on the solid waste user fees, with all legislators save Rouis saying they were surprised when County Attorney Sam Yasgur confirmed that, via a lengthy and potentially rigorous grievance process, anyone who can demonstrate they do not use the county’s solid waste system can “opt out” and no longer have to pay the just-adopted user fees.
That vote was 6-3, with Binder, Sager and Sorensen opposed.
A more in-depth look at both votes will appear in Tuesday’s Democrat.