Opinion: Alicia Terry's Termination is Well Past Due

It's a well worn piece of commentary at the County Building. Not every conversation goes like this, but the variations have been heard too many times to count.

"How did Alicia Terry even become Planning Department Chair?"

"Her daddy and granddaddy were County Clerk."

Whether or not Terry was hired as a legacy may be an opinion. What is a fact is that in her twenty years running Planning and Development, Schoharie County has suffered failure after failure.

- She did not step in in 2001 when Interknitting announced it would be leaving Guilford Mills to prevent the closure and loss of 700 jobs.
- She bungled the sale or use of Guilford Mills for years before County Treasurer Bill Cherry stepped in and had it sold in months.
- The Guilford failures included a logging company, Intelligent Fish, and Butternuts Brewery.
- Bungled the prospective deals to bring Lowe's to Cobleskill.
- Forged the AECOM contract without Board approval, costing the taxpayers millions.
- Not following through in Sharon hotel renovation. Multi-million dollar promises from Terry and Korean investors still go unfilled years later.
- Worked with Cassandra Ethington to manipulate county government.
- In 2012 the County unemployment rate reached 12.2%, nearing Depression levels.
- Was directly involved in at least one questionable firing during her tenure.

In fact, her one "accomplishment" was her front-and-center involvement in the $9 million water line extension from the Village of Cobleskill to Howe Caverns. A project engineered by former Mayor Mark Galasso that just happened to benefit his relative Emil.

Former Middleburgh Mayor Gary Hayes says that Terry was a 'go to' person for Middleburgh's economic growth. No recent publication or statements from Middleburgh officials seems to back that up.

Alicia Terry is well-educated, for sure. But failure after failure has shown no learning and no initiative to solve Schoharie County's myriad economic problems.

Treasurer Bill Cherry's budget is bold. It is also necessary.

If you are on the fence, just ask yourself this: is the County better off due to anything, anything that Alicia Terry has done.

Proposed Budget Bombshell: Terry Axed, Planning Overhauled

The proposed Schoharie County Budget for 2015 had many ups and downs, but one firm note of savings. After years of chronic issues stemming out of the County Planning and Development Office headed by Alicia Terry, County Treasurer Bill Cherry is proposing a major restructuring of the entire department.

According to the proposed document, the County Planning and Development Office will be split into two pieces, neither of which would be department levels. Senior staffing of the current department will fill the vacuum. The position of Director, currently filled by Alicia Terry, will be eliminated, saving taxpayers $73,393. The Office Manager position, currently unfilled, will be eliminated at a savings of over $40,000.

A Planner position will be placed back into the budget after it was eliminated by Cassandra Ethington, which will offset the savings of the Office Manager's salary. The Marketing Specialist position will also be removed and replaced with two Economic Development Specialist I positions-- one full time and one part time at approximately the current cost. The proposed budget states that this change will "enable us to expand our scope of activity in reaching out to businesses in order to encourage them to relocate to Schoharie County and bring much-needed jobs to the area."

 All told, the salary savings at the Planning Department this year alone will total almost $70,000 even counting for other employees' raises.

Terry has been seen as the last remaining former Ethington ally remaining in the County Departments.

2015 Proposed County Taxes by Town

Read below for your town's effective County tax rate. Most towns are increasing-- three are decreasing.

Town	2014 Tax Rate	2015 Tax Rate	Percent Change
Blenheim	$10.64	$11.15	4.79%
Broome	$8.56	8.97	4.79
Carlisle	$10.58	11.03	4.25
Cobleskill	$10.28	11.39	10.8
Conesville	$8.51	$8.90	4.58
Esperance	$10.79	8.98	-16.77
Fulton	$12.16	12.77	5.02
Gilboa	$489.06	489.88	0.17
Jefferson	$14.22	14.92	4.92
Middleburgh	$12.26	12.85	4.81
Richmondville	$8.46	8.98	6.15
Schoharie	$10.85	9.03	-16.77
Seward	$10.57	11.02	4.26
Sharon	$10.54	10.99	4.27
Summit	$13.82	14.04	1.59
Wright	$10.29	10.18	-1.07

2015 County Budget: Stream Spending Hikes Taxes, Largely Offset by Tax Rebate

On the surface of things, the newly released Schoharie County 2015 tentative budget has a significant tax increase.

However, looking closer shows that most homeowners will not be paying much more, if anything, next year.

Due to stagnating property values and sales tax, coupled with necessary projects, County taxes will be increasing by 4.86% from .0843% to .0884% for most taxpayers. However, under the new tax credit system implemented by the state, late next year all STAR-eligible property owners will receive a check offsetting the increase in taxes.

Temporary and permanent spending drove up the budget this year. Total expenditures will increase 19.1%, or $13.7 million to $85.7 million. Much of the increase in spending-- and in taxes are due to the streambank stabilization project. Due to increased costs and other issues, the County will likely have to bond the cost over ten years. $10 million of the $13.7 million in increased spending is directly due to this project.

Other major spending projects include improving the Emergency Communications Center and E-911 dispatch, moving it from a flood damaged property in Schoharie to the former MOSA site. The budget also includes portions to help make the County Building flood resistant and rebuild the Schoharie Jail. They are being paid for through Bond Anticipation Notes, of which after state and federal reimbursement, the County will only pay interest on.

The budget also made significant cutbacks to soften the blow of tax increases, including positions at the Treasurer's Office, Planning and Development, and IT.

The proposed budget also allows saving by having Consolidated Highway projects be done by the County instead of by third-party contractors.

County Budget To Be Announced at Press Conference on 14th

On Tuesday, October 14th at 10:00 a.m., Schoharie County Treasurer and Budget Officer William Cherry will release the county’s 2015 Tentative Budget. Copies of the spending plan along with proposed tax rates, changes in expenditures, recommended adoption calendar, and a summary of the highlights of the Tentative Budget will be included. Questions from the press will be welcomed during the conference which will be held at the Treasurer’s Office on the first floor of the County Office Building, 284 Main Street, Schoharie, NY.