Alicia Terry Sues County, Seeks Old Job

Alleging that she was improperly removed from her position atop the Schoharie County Planning Department for her political beliefs, former planning department head Alicia Terry has filed suit against the county in hopes of reclaiming her job and status. 

Filing a request for judicial intervention on Friday, March 20th to initiate Article 78 proceedings, Mrs. Terry listed Schoharie County, the Board of Supervisors, and Senior Planner Shane Nickel, who has been the de facto head of the planning department, as plaintiffs. 

Removed from her position as Director of Planning and Economic Development with the 2015 budget's passage in December, Mrs. Terry was demoted to the position of Senior Planner under her former subordinate and current Lead Supervisor, Mr. Nickel.

The budget, which was approved narrowly by supervisors, was crafted by Treasurer and Budget Officer Bill Cherry and resulted in the fracturing of planning and economic development into two separate entities, as well as the elimination of several positions, Terry's included.

Head of the Planning Department for almost twenty years, Mrs. Terry gained a mixed reputation with the rise and fall of the Schoharie County Conservative Party, which saw its fortunes peak in 2011 with Harold Vroman's chairmanship and the leading role of Cassandra Ethington.

In addition to her role as a department head, the long-time official briefly served as co-budget officer with Social Services Commissioner Paul Brady and at one point oversaw the AECOM stream bank project in conjunction with DPW head Dan Crandall.

Mrs. Terry's lawsuit contends that, "The County abolished Petitioner's position and laid her off as Director of Planning based upon her political party affiliation and beliefs, in bad faith, and as a subterfuge to avoid the statutory protection afford to her as a civil servant."

Along with seeking re-appointment as head of the planning department, Terry is seeking damages and lost salary associated with her demotion from the position. 

Opinion: McAllister Must Make the Right Choice on Terry

This Friday may be the most important day of the year for the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors. The Board will be discussing the prospective 2015 budget and its affects on the future of the area.

Unfortunately, the economic and job growth of the area has lagged significantly behind nearly every county in New York State, Upstate and Downstate since Alicia Terry began her role in the Planning Department twenty years ago. Now that her position and record is on the chopping block, it is time for the Board to take a stand for local growth and shed the good ol' boy image that has hobbled the area for so long.

It's clear from some public statements and past voting records that the vote may be close Friday. Middleburgh Town Supervisor Jim Buzon has come out strongly in support of Terry and her record while Schoharie and Jefferson Supervisors Gene Milone and Sean Jordan are likely to vote to relieve her of duty.

Since there is likely a split vote, it will come down to the largest proportion of weighted votes of the sixteen supervisors, Town of Cobleskill Supervisor Leo McCallister. He represents 16.2% of the weighted votes and will likely be the kingmaker on Friday.

In his hands alone will fall the fate of future economic growth and the ability to remove the last Ethington holdout. Mr. McAllister was elected by a wide margin to replace one of Ethington and Terry's chief allies, Tom Murray. It was Murray that was alleged in a lawsuit to have worked with Terry to force out former planner and current Supervisor Sean Jordan.

Mr. McAllister ran on a platform of practicality and the removal of the corrupt influences in the county. Now he has the ability and the responsibility to take the important step of aiding the county and ridding corruption at the same time.

Leo McAllister was elected to step Cobleskill out of Tom Murray's shadow. It would be a major shame for him to step back in it.

Poll: Residents Strongly Disapprove of Terry

A recent survey of Schoharie News readers has found that local residents strongly disapprove of Schoharie County Planning Director Alicia Terry's job performance, with many voicing concerns over Mrs. Terry's handling of business development and the contentious AECOM stream bank project. 

With two hundred readers responding, 70% voiced dissatisfaction with the county Planning Director's performance in office, while only 25% viewed her work positively and the remaining 5% are undecided on her tenure's impact either way. The poll was located on the right hand sidebar of the website.

Mrs. Terry is seen as the last of the Conservative Party stalwarts in local government following the party's trouncing in the polls. She is the daughter of late Schoharie County Clerk Eugene Hallock.