LEGISLATURE STUFF (Pt 1) - LETTER TO THE GREENE COUNTY LEGISLATURE - Signed by 11 of 14 Town Supervisors

Addressed to Greene County administrator Shaun Groden and Greene County Legislature chairman Patrick Linger, as follows:

“On behalf of most of the Supervisors of Greene County, we are writing to respectfully request that the Countywide Ambulance System proposal be brought before the Greene County Legislature for a formal vote.

“As you know, this initiative has been the subject of extensive study, meetings, and discussion over a considerable period of time, with significant resources and effort already invested by the County, our

towns, and many community stakeholders.

“At the most recent countywide ambulance meeting, it was stated that this matter would not be brought to the floor.

“We strongly believe that, given the importance of this issue to the safety and well-being of Greene County residents, it is only appropriate that the Legislature take an official position.

“This request is not about predetermining the outcome. It is about accountability, transparency, and providing clarity on where our Legislature stands.

“A recorded vote would offer direction to the municipalities, emergency service providers, and residents who have engaged in good faith [conversation] throughout this process.

“We therefore respectfully urge you to place this matter on the agenda and bring it to a vote of the full Legislature.

“Thank you for your attention to this request and for your ongoing efforts on behalf of Greene County and its residents,” the letter states.

The communication is respectfully signed by supervisors John Benson (Greenville), Shaun Marriott (Durham), Greg Cross (Prattsville);

Michael Pirrone (Athens), Rick Hanse (Coxsackie), Jeff Ruso (New Baltimore), Thomas Hoyt (Windham), Rich Tompkins (Ashland);

Greg Kroyer (Jewett), JoEllen Schermerhorn (Lexington) and Sean Mahoney (Hunter).

Supervisors in the town of Catskill (Patrick McCullough) and Cairo (Jason Watts) did not sign onto the missive.

The town of Halcott, due to its geographic relationship to the county (colloquially referred to as, “you can’t get there from here”) has a separate agreement with Greene County and an outside ambulance provider.

It is expected chairman Linger will review the request and present it to the respective legislative committees for consideration prior to any possible movement by the full board later this month.

(Please see our related “Legislature Stuff Part 1” column).