Fanslau moving on

Story by Dan Hust
MONTICELLO — February 22, 2013 — Sullivan County Manager David Fanslau’s last day with the county will be this Friday, March 1.
That departure date has been on the radar ever since a majority of legislators voiced dissatisfaction with Fanslau.
It’s also been a source of tension amongst legislators, four of whom maintained that Fanslau was a professional worth keeping.
But in the end, all nine agreed to work out a separation agreement with Fanslau, which was concluded on Thursday.
And while Fanslau can change his mind up until Friday, a press release issued Thursday indicates he’s moving on, with his deputy, Management and Budget Commissioner Josh Potosek, taking over in the interim.
“Mr. Fanslau and the Sullivan County Legislature have amicably agreed to enter into a Separation Agreement, ending Mr. Fanslau’s position as Sullivan County Manager, effective at 12:01 a.m. on March 2,” reads the release. “The Sullivan County Legislature thanks Mr. Fanslau for his years of dedicated service to Sullivan County, and wishes him the best in his future endeavors.”
Fanslau has not yet returned a request for comment, and Legislature Chairman Scott Samuelson said details on the agreement are not yet public, though it does include a severance package.
Samuelson said the next step is to figure out how to search for a replacement. He said the process which resulted in Fanslau’s arrival seven years ago was expensive, but he’s not sure what his colleagues want to do.
“We need to discuss how we’ll go forward,” Samuelson acknowledged.
That process may be overshadowed by the ongoing 5-4 split over this issue.
Reflecting the same divisions about Fanslau, five legislators on Thursday voted for and four voted against amending the county charter to once again require just a majority (five legislators) rather than a supermajority (six) to hire, fire or suspend a county manager.
That will become part of the charter after 60 days, if no petition for a public vote is successfully mounted.
More in Tuesday’s paper ...