COUNTY BUDGET APPROVED

WITH 2 REPS VOTING NAY

County Rep. Jim Powers, R-Butternuts, who chairs the Public Safety & Legal Affairs Committee, asks for data on whether sales-tax revenues will exceed projects. Powers ended up objecting to a proposal by county Rep. Don Lindberg, R-Worcester, in the background, to give $10,000 to each fire department to use as they wish, on the assumption most would use it for pagers to connect with a new county emergency communication system. Power said the fire departments' needs have to be better understood before the allocation is made. (Jim Kevlin/allotsego.com) — County Rep. Jim Powers, R-Butternuts, who chairs the Public Safety & Legal Affairs Committee, asks for data on whether sales-tax revenues will exceed projections. Powers ended up objecting to a proposal by county Rep. Don Lindberg, R-Worcester, in the background, to give $10,000 to each fire department to use as they wish, on the assumption most would use it for pagers to connect with a new county emergency communication system. Power said the fire departments’ needs have to be better understood before the allocation is made. (Jim Kevlin/allotsego.com)

County Rep. Ed Frazier, R-Unadilla, who chairs the influential Administration Committee, makes a point during today's debate. Listening is on the dias is county board Chair Kathy Clark, R-Otego. — County Rep. Ed Frazier, R-Unadilla, who chairs the influential Administration Committee, makes a point during today’s debate. Listening is on the dias is county board Chair Kathy Clark, R-Otego.

County Rep. Kay Stuligross, D-Oneonta, receives colleagues praise for successfully leading the sale of Otsego Manor. — County Rep. Kay Stuligross, D-Oneonta, receives colleagues’ praise for successfully leading the sale of Otsego Manor.

COOPERSTOWN – The county Board of Representatives adopted its $103 million budget for 2015 this morning, with only county Reps. Don Lindberg, R-Worcester, and Betty Anne Schwerd, R-Edmeston, voting no.

Among the last-minute issues, Lindberg tried to include a $10,000 contribution to each of the county’s 30 fire departments, to help them buy pagers needed to connect with the county’s new $8 million emergency communication system due to go online by the end of next year.

County Rep. Ed Lentz, D-New Lisbon, suggested several ways to split the $1.4 million in annual bed-tax revenues to help the major engines of tourism – the town and city of Oneonta, the Town of Hartwick and the Village of Cooperstown. But none of the motions passed.

Because the sale of Otsego Manor results in a $5 million savings, the document should result in a tax decrease, but when split among all taxpayers it should amount to no more than a few dollars each. Much of the $5 million was eaten up on such projects as a new roof on the Meadows Office Building and other maintenance delayed because of Manor costs.

Two controversial proposals that came out of the committee chaired by Lindberg – closing the Cooperstown DMV and merging Oneonta’s senior hospitality site into Nader Towers – had previously been removed from the proposed document.

Capitol Attack, Riot Resolutions Passed Routinely – Then, Oops!

Capitol Attack, Riot Resolutions Passed Routinely – Then, Oops! By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com COOPERSTOWN – After last month’s hour-long fiery debate at the county board meeting over resolutions expressing contrary views on the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, both resolutions went through routinely at today’s meeting as part of the consent agenda. Well, almost. County Rep. Rick Brockway, on Zoom from his West Laurens home, answered a question his wife was relaying to him from a caller. “We didn’t pull either of them,” replied Brockway. “They didn’t pull theirs, so we didn’t pull ours.” “Rick,…

March 3, 2021

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COUNTY BUDGET APPROVED

WITH 2 REPS VOTING NAY

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