Second Report: Ethington Threatened Lawsuits Against those that Spoke to Investigators Against Her

The very last public portion of the Second Report seems to sum up much of the controversy going on around the County. It shows that Cassandra Ethington said that she would challenge any County employees that spoke negatively about her with investigators.

This is a direct quote from a redacted employee:

"On at least one occasion I recall Cassie telling me that any County employee who spoke to the Fitzmaurice lawyers and spoke/testified against her; trying to ruin her reputation- they would be cross-examined by her attorney. She indicated she would sue any employee if she had to."

The Second Report: Ethington Gave Job to Conservative Party Chair after Changing Civil Service Listing Illegally, Husband then Received Conservative Party Nomination for Sheriff

There is an entire section of the second portion of the Fitzmaurice Report that seems to confirm what rumors around the County Civil Service seemed to imply. Cassandra Ethington appeared to exchange a civil service job in exchange for a political favor.

Two of the three custodians at the County DPW felt that the job description for the custodial supervisor's role had been changed to prevent them from getting the job.

William Hanson, the head of the Schoharie County Conservative Party was interviewed. His name was redacted in some portions of the Report, but his last name appeared unredacted in another part of the Report discussing the case.

Cassandra Ethington is also a member of the Conservative Party and worked with Hanson in 2009 to help elect Tony Desmond Sheriff. Hanson said that it was "his sole decision" to nominate Desmond for the line.

In early 2011, Hanson emailed Ethington asking: "did you find me a job yet?" Three days later he repeated the question.

Another woman was recommended for the job as head cleaner but former DPW head Tom Fignani said, "Yeah but Cassandra wants Bill Hanson." Ethington asked for Hanson to receive the job to which a redacted employee said that Hanson was part of a group "bullying their way in."

Ethington allegedly changed the job descriptions to exclude other candidates and force Mr. Hanson into the job.

When interviewed by Fitzmaurice and Walsh about his hiring by Mrs. Ethington, Hanson responded with "where does the politics stop and the discrimination start?" He repeated it a second time.

Hanson was interviewed another time with a union rep. This time when asked whether Cassandra Ethington helped get him his job illegally he just said, "Goodbye" and left.

Hanson told interviewers that he had read about the job description on the County website. When asked if Ethington told him about it-- he said "No." Meanwhile, his application for the job came in four full months before they were even requested on the County website. On his application he checked the box that he heard about the job from "FRIEND OR FAMILY."

Ethington then refused an interview by investigators on the subject.

Earlier this year Ethington's husband Todd received Bill Hanson's support and the Conservative Party's line on the ballot Tuesday.

Board Votes to Release the Second Report

The Board of Supervisors held another special meeting tonight to decide what to do with part two of the Fitzmaurice Report. In an 10-2 vote the Board voted to release it. Supervisor Harold Vroman and Supervisor Dan Singletary voted no.

The 56 page Report outlines even graver accusations against now-suspended Personnel Director Cassandra Ethington and actions taken during her tenure. The second portion of the Report combed through thousands of emails, Ethington's files, and a second round of interviews.

There was so much information that the author wrote, "when we searched county emails it became obvious that we would have a challenge eliminating topics to be included in the report."

Could take months, said District Attorney Jim Sacket. An outside firm will be hired to search into the additional allegations. Schoharie Supervisor Gene Milone asked-- what if the Board of Supervisors had conspired to introduce the layoffs and used the flood as an excuse?

Second Report: Ethington Claimed Not to Want Health Director Job, But Wrote Own Hiring Letter

Cassandra Ethington told investigators from the Fitzmaurice and Walsh lawfirm that she did not want the job as interim Health Director and that it was forced upon her by the Board of Supervisors. Instead, she wrote the draft letter for her own hiring.

In a letter to late Supervisor Bill Goblet, Ethington effectively hired herself without Board approval. She said that since she was assisting in the selling of the County Home Health services, she was "doing all of this work already." She wrote the letter on Health Department letterhead and never indicated that she had done so.

Both Supervisor Harold Vroman and President of the Board of Health Betsy Bernocco signed off on the civil service form accepting her. The Board itself approved the job transfer in January 2011.

Ethington accused one employee Eva Gigandet of being "out of control" after she attended a public health seminar. Ethington asked in an email "what is with her?" Mrs. Ethington broke confidentiality-- emailing criticism of Gigandet to Gigandet herself "accidentally."

Mrs. Gigandet was later fired and sued for improper dismissal. The case was dismissed.

Second Report: Ethington Had 'No Competence' in Health Dept, Fired Employee that Questioned Role

Cassandra Ethington's tenure as head of the County Health Department caused many problems, including those that were included in the first part of the Fitzmaurice Report. However, upon further inspection the situation was even worse than originally believed.

Ethington was advised by both a member of the Board of Supervisors and the County Board's attorney to not pursue the Health Department opening but did so anyway. She wrote the letter that appointed herself to the position herself.

An employee in the Department, Kim Euler questioned whether or not the appointment was legal. Ms. Euler was previously described in work reports as "Extremely effective" but Mrs. Ethington was irritated to the inquiries-- including Ms. Euler forwarding the list of concerns of the NYS Health Department. Ms. Euler was assigned additional work outside of her field. This violated Civil Service law 61(2).

Ms. Euler could not file a grievance because Mrs. Ethington was one of the people meant to send the complaint to as Personnel Director.

When Ms. Euler fell behind on the additional duties, Mrs. Ethington placed her on reduced workload. The Report then states that Mrs. Ethington lied about making the change to a dual-role.

Ethington approached [redacted] and Treasurer Bill Cherry stating that she was going to fire Ms. Euler "whether or not" she caught up with her work.

Ms. Euler was fired on August 22, 2011 even though her job was still funded until the end of the year in the budget. Ethington claimed that the firing was in part due to a "Lack of Work or Funds." Telling other personnel about the decision separate from a Board decision is a violation of NYS General Municipal Law 805-a.

The problems in the Health Department caused by Ethington continue "to this day."

BREAKING: Board Votes to Put Ethington on Leave

It was a warm November night when most of the Board of Supervisors entered into the County Building. However, three of their number were not there. Bob Mann of Blenheim, Tom Murray of Cobleskill, Anne Batz of Broome all were not in attendance as the Board as they voted on what to do regarding the infamous second part of the Fitzmaurice Report and to deal with Personnel Director.

There was a round of applause when the Board voted on what to do with Cassandra Ethington.

The Board voted 10-2 to suspend the personnel director with pay until a public hearing for possible termination for cause. This would take at least 30 days.

Voting no: Daniel Singletary of Jefferson and Harold Vroman of Summit. Singletary attacked Bill Cherry-- getting another hit in on the Treaurer before the election. Singletary also said that getting rid of Ethington was closing a major office an an "outrageous action" by the Board.

"It was a reign of terror," said former employee Penny Grimes about Ethington's tenure.

Anne Batz showed up after the vote.

Rundown of Second Report Articles:

- Second Report: Ethington Threatened Lawsuits Against those that Spoke to Investigators Against Her 

- Fears of Job-for-Political Favors Trade 

 - Ethington claimed not to want Health Director job, wrote own hiring letter 

- Ethington fired employee that questioned her position as Health Director

Board of Elections Complaint Alleges Push Polling in Jefferson Race

Disconcerting allegations of push polling and deception in the Town of Jefferson Supervisor election have made their way to the Schoharie County District Attorney's office after a initial complaint was filed with the Board of Elections on Tuesday afternoon.

The complaint, which was forwarded to the District Attorney's office on the recommendation of both the county's election commissioners (GOP Chairman Lewis Wilson, Democrat Chairman Clifford Hay), alleges that a poll being conducted by CSI Campaign Research was intentionally skewing their questions to create a negative portrayal of Republican Sean Jordan and the nature of his separation from county employment.

According to details the Schoharie News learned off the record and were confirmed by one of the election commissioners in a phone conversation earlier this afternoon, the poll asked a series of three questions - the first of which concerned the emergency broadcast system, followed by one that asked if the participant would vote for Supervisor Dan Singletary if he proposed a 0% tax increase, with the last asking if the respondent would vote for Mr. Jordan if they knew he was fired from his county position.

The last section is what spurred one recipient of the survey to file a complaint with the Board of Elections, due to the fact it untruthfully claimed that Mr. Jordan was fired from his position as an Economic Development Assistant when in reality he was layed-off in December 2011. Mr. Jordan later sought reinstatement in Jordan v. Schoharie County, accusing Alicia Terry of wrongful termination based on "personal animus," but was denied.

Neither the Board of Elections nor the Schoharie News has been able to discover any information on the alleged polling firm in the complaint, which now awaits further investigation by the District Attorney's office.

Milone Picks Up Support from Cherry

Schoharie Supervisor Gene Milone is in the political fight of his life. The one-term incumbent is warding off a challenge from former long-time Supervisor Martin Shrederis. Mr. Milone's bid is complicated over the emotion surrounding the Fitzmaurice Report and its findings.

Mr. Milone did receive a significant boost over the last two weeks, picking up support from former Schoharie Supervisor and current Treasurer William Cherry.

Conservative Party's Influence, Links to Ethingtons Questioned

The Conservative Party of Schoharie County is a legitimate competitor in our right-leaning County. The party itself controls over 1,000 registered voters-- counting over 10% of those that voted in the last County-wide race.

The Conservative Party does not simply tag along with the Republican Party. It has struck out on its own, regularly endorsing Democrats and since 2007 running its own candidates. There have been several large cases as of late, and the party's role in this year's races is certainly mixing up the established order.

Take the recent history, for example:

2007- The first large-scale effort of the Conservative Party to upend local politics. Former Middleburgh Mayor Gary Hayes lost his bid for the Republican nomination for County Clerk 70-30% against Indica Jaycox. Mr. Hayes was then backed by the Conservative Party. In the race against Mrs. Jaycox and Democratic former Middleburgh Supervisor Richard Shultes, the vote was split 60% Republican, 25% Democratic, and 15% Conservative.

2009- The Conservative Party proved to be the kingmaker in that year's races, giving a needed boost to both Cobleskill Supervisor candidate Thomas Murray and Sheriff Candidate Anthony Desmond. Both were also endorsed by the Democratic Party and ran on their lines-- but it was the Conservative Paty line that put them both over the top. In the race where Murray won by 9 votes and Desmond less than 50, the fusion ticket votes from the Conservative line handed them the victories.

2011- Coming off of the success of the 2009 votes, the Conservative Party backed Mr. Hayes again. This time Mr. Hayes ran on both the Conservative and Democratic tickets-- this time winning 36% to Mrs. Jaycox's 64%.

The largest push seems to be this year. Sheriff Desmond left his caucus with the Democrats and lost not only their nomination but also the Conservatives'. Meanwhile, Jefferson Supervisor Daniel Singletary lost the Republican nomination to Sean Jordan. The Conservative Party then endorsed Mr. Singletary and placed him on their line. In Wright, a registered-Conservative, Amber Bleau successfully gained the nomination for Supervisor. In Esperance, Mayor Steve Miller picked up the Conservative and Democratic lines for Supervisor. Tom Murray still holds the Conservative nod in Cobleskill. Martin Shrederis of Schoharie received both the Republican and Conservative Parties' backing.

The largest case, of course, is that of County Sheriff. Deputy Todd Ethington attempted to receive both the Republican and Conservative Parties' support. Ethington came in a distant third in June's Republican caucus behind newly-minted again-Republican Desmond and Deputy Duane Tillapaugh. The support of Conservative Party Chair William Hanson was vital for Ethington to receive the nomination.

The situation is significantly more complicated when taking all of the nominees into consideration. The Party has thrown it weight behind Todd Ethington. Cassandra Ethington, as Personnel Director, signed off on the hiring of Mr. Hanson and Mr. Hayes for different jobs. Beyond this, most of the nominees that the Conservatives have put up this year are explicit supporters of either Todd Ethington for Sheriff or have been of Cassandra Ethington's tenure as Personnel Director.

The Conservative Party already has a large influence on this year's election and will likely have at least some of its nominees win next week. Its future largely rides on whether these nominees can win a majority of the weighted votes on the County Board.

Nine Supervisors Face Opposition, While Vroman Bides his Time

In an election cycle where anti-incumbency is running at all-time highs in Schoharie County, following the tumultuous reign of Summit Supervisor Harold Vroman and the inquiry marred tenure of Fulton Supervisor Phil Skowfoe, it is no wonder that twelve of fourteen town supervisor races are contested this year and that we could possibly witness half of the board removed on Tuesday.

 

However, there are two incumbents that are fortunate enough to escape the voters evaluation. One being the likeable Supervisor of Gilboa, Tony Van Glad, who hasn't faced a challenge in years with the other being the aforementioned Supervisor of Summit, Harold Vroman, who in the eyes of the Schoharie News is rather deserving of an opponent.

 

On principle we believe that all incumbents deserve to be challenged, basing our belief on John Dalberg-Acton's famous quotation that "power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." As such, no occupant of any level of governance should feel entitled to keep his power without the consent of the governed through a contested vote.

 

This holds especially true in regards to Mr. Vroman, who during his two years atop the Board of Supervisors oversaw not only a county government that engaged in harassment and misconduct by its Personnel Director against its own employees but a county board that was sued by half of its members because Mr. Vroman switched committee assignments mid-year to accommodate his allies.

 

While all of his lieutenants face serious challenges across the county on Tuesday, Mr. Vroman will remain at ease with full knowledge that his reelection is guaranteed. Thanks in part to his name appearing on the Democratic, Republican, Conservative and Independence Party lines, eliminating any hope for even a write-in to possibly mount a last minute bid.

 

With the balance of power very narrow in county politics at this time, all Mr. Vroman needs is for one town to flip and his coalition will once more regain control of the board, all the while he rests comfortably in Summit while the current board Chairman Phil Skowfoe fights off a tough challenge in Fulton - the way every incumbent should have to, particularly those with heightened influence in the political realm. .

Tri-Partisan Ad Raises Eyebrows

An ad that appeared in this week's edition of the Cobleskill paper raised eyebrows. It featured a bi-partisan cast (tri-partisan if you include Conservative nominee Daniel Singletary) that co-sponsored the feature. The group included multiple allies of embattled Personnel Director Cassandra Ethington, including Cobleskill Supervisor Tom Murray and Mr. Singletary.

In the middle is former Chair of the Board Harold Vroman. The candidates are eight of the fourteen up for election-- including four incumbents.

Assermblyman Lopez Endorses Desmond for Re-Election

With Schoharie County's contentious three way Sheriff's race set to reach its ultimate conclusion on Tuesday, incumbent Tony Desmond received a significant endorsement from Assemblyman Pete Lopez in a letter yesterday that praised him as a "thoughtful, motivated and conscientious person."

 

 

Preparing for another Wave Election in 2013

In 2011, due to the flood and retirements, a series of changes remade the County Board. Longtime Supervisor Dennis Richards of Middleburgh did not run again and James Buzon won in November. Fourteen-year Supervisor Martin Shrederis lost to his 2009 opponent, Gene Milone. Anne Batz in Broome took her first term as Supervisor. Three other seats changed hands in 2009, introducing Dan Singletary of Jefferson and re-introducing Carl Barbic of Seward. After Supervisor Desmond became Sheriff Desmond, Sandra Manko took office in Sharon.

The whole situation was a sea change as the Board began seeing issues of instability between 2009-2011. Bill Cherry was removed as budget officer and two new ones, including Cassandra Ethington's ally Alicia Terry, took his place. Fighting among the Supervisors increased, but did not reach later levels.

After the 2011 elections, the situation deteriorated much further. The Board's infighting has been the worst in years and was the most severe leadership crisis on the County level in at least two decades.

In 2013 the situation will be similar, bringing in three separate wave elections in a row.

At least two Supervisors are retiring-- Mike Brandow of Conesville and Anne Batz of Broome. Another, Dan Singletary, is believed to be on his last legs. In Wright no Supervisor has been seated since the death of Bill Goblet-- so another new Supervisor there. In Esperance, Cobleskill, Schoharie, Blenheim, and Fulton there are competitive races.

Would nine new Supervisors govern any better than the current lot? Many would argue yes-- that the dysfunction on the Board must stop. Still, if some of the current candidates are also supporters of the group that placed Cassandra Ethington in charge, there could be far more problems.

Ultimately, it could be argued that the three wave elections in a row show a dysfunction of the current Board of Supervisors structure-- and as Gene Milone said, the lack of a County Executive.

Middleburgh's Candidates an Experienced Mix

There is no Supervisor's race in Middleburgh and incumbent James Buzon (D) has another two years left on his term. However, there are two council seats up next week and all of the candidates enjoy experience.

1. David Lloyd (R) is a long-serving member of the Town Board and currently serves as Deputy Supervisor. He was the GOP's nominee for Supervisor in 2011 and supports economic development. Mr. Lloyd is a business owner and was a key opponent of Mr. Hayes' effort to dissolve the Village earlier in 2013.

2. Brian DeFeo (R) is a former member of the Town Board, serving two terms until his retirement due to other work responsibilities in 2006. Mr. DeFeo supports consolidating Town and Village services to reduce the load on the taxpayers. He was nominated earlier this year by Marge Becker.

3. William Ansel-McCabe (D) hopes to use his years of experience as the Village's Mayor back to the Town Board. He is currently serving a one year appointment to the Board following former member Marcia Guntert's retirement in early 2013. Mr. Ansel-McCabe gave a rousing speech criticizing the opponents of dissolving the Village of Middleburgh at January's public hearing.

4. Sara Masterson (D) was a candidate for Town Board in 2011 and is known around Middleburgh for her volunteer efforts. Ms. Masterson ran for Library Board in 2012 and is still active around the community.

Opinion: Keep Earl Supervisor

There is but one logical choice in the Town of Esperance's contentious campaign between incumbent Supervisor Earl Van Wormer and Village of Esperance Mayor Steve Miller - and that is undoubtedly to "Keep Earl Supervisor," as hundreds of signs proclaim across the small town's roadsides.

Mr. Van Wormer, who was first elected to the position in 1993, has successfully accomplished the dramatic reduction of energy costs for county government and the acquisition of millions of dollars for Esperance projects through state grants, including his town's unique position as the only non-village in the county to receive funds in Governor Cuomo's recently announced $12 million package.

Although no longer serving as Board of Supervisors Chairman, a position he held for almost ten years in a time where county government worked effectively and without widespread controversy, Mr. Van Wormer continues to bring a sense of compromise and passion to his work on the board despite tensions reaching an all time high among the other supervisors.

Mr. Van Wormer's twenty years of service might be a good enough reason for some to pull the level for his opponent on Tuesday, but the way we see is that Earl still has a lot to contribute to both the town and county governments and that we cannot afford to lose a cool headed, independent statesmen in this time of political upheaval.

As such, the Schoharie News would like to endorse Mr. Van Wormer in Tuesday's election and hope he continues to play a pivotal role in shaping county politics for years to come.

Just in: Board to Hold Special Meeting Friday on Second Portion of Report, Meet With DA

The Schoharie County Board of Supervisors is holding a special meeting this Friday November 1 at 5pm. The agenda for the meeting was posted on the County website today-- and has just one item on the docket: meeting with the County District Attorney James Sacket.

There is word from our sources that there will be a push to publish the second portion of the Fitzmaurice Report, which was not released last week. Whether or not the votes will be enough to release the Report is not clear-- or whether County Attorney Michael West would suggest to do so. In the recent past, it has been implied that releasing the Report before having it reviewed by the DA and Civil Service could interrupt potential criminal charges being filed.

Schoharie 2013 Interview: Milone vs. Shrederis

Town of Schoharie voters will have to choose between incumbent Supervisor Gene Milone and the man he defeated in the 2011 election, former Supervisor Martin Shrederis, once again in next week's hotly contested town supervisor campaign between these polar opposites that the Schoharie News was fortunate enough to interview.

Background

Mr. Milone - Before retiring to Schoharie, Mr. Milone worked in the New York State Transit Authority for three decades where he rose up the ranks from a bus driver in Staten Island all the way to the presidency of his local union, and later served as a supervisor. Since moving to Schoharie he has served as Town Councilmen for six years and Supervisor for two.

Mr. Shrederis - Mr. Shrederis is a lifelong resident of Schoharie who owned a dairy farm for a number years and recently retired from Berne-Knox school district where he was employed as a bus mechanic. He has served as President of both the Schoharie Fire Department and Little League Association and previously served as Supervisor for fourteen years. 

Campaign

Mr. Milone - Mr. Milone stated that his campaign has "been very well" to this point, adding that he has visited "almost 650 houses," and that its "almost at its conclusion." He has used this opportunity to address issues that came up at monthly board meetings and to gain the public's perspective on the town's state of affairs.

Mr. Shrederis - Mr. Shrederis believes that he lost in 2011 because he "didn't have time to campaign," due to his many public responsibilities in the aftermath of Irene's devastation in addition to his own home being flooded and still holding a full-time job. He decided to run again because "people [have] asked me to keep running and running."

Town Level

Mr. Milone - Mr. Milone stated that "first and foremost [there] is a need for a grocery store," and that he has worked closely with neighboring Supervisor Jim Buzon and Congressman Chris Gibson's staff to bring one into the area. He also touched on his 2014 budget proposal that sees only a "0.9% increase in taxation," that "represents the cost of operation," and his position that he will not take a salary if reelected, emphasizing that he is a "firm believer of leading by example."

Mr. Shrederis - Mr. Shrederis named his "biggest concern" as bringing more businesses back to Main Street and that he's in favor of the pipeline looking to come into Schoharie, adding that the result will be "cheaper fuel." He also hopes that the Town of Schoharie and Cobleskill Stone's legal issues can be resolved, stating that "we won the last case," and that "maybe we can get this resolved." 

Tax Abatement

Mr. Milone - Mr. Milone said that he "struggled with himself for a long time since the flood" and that he spent that time "understanding their loss and the tears," concluding that his proposal for tax abatement would be the town's "opportunity for us to rebuild our community," and that if it doesn't work "we lose nothing." Four town laws were passed and it "offers something for everyone."

Mr. Shrederis - Mr. Shrederis position is that "first of all: we had many residents that were hit by Irene," and "they got a tax break for a short period of time." Adding that the tax abatement is "too long of a period," and "not fair to all residents who got a short-term break" that people who want to move in got a longer tax break. He conceded that "it's an incentive," but it’s "way too long."

The Report

Mr. Milone - Mr. Milone's motion twenty months ago before the Board of Supervisors initiated the entire Fitzmaurice Report process that resulted in the first section being released last Friday. Mr. Milone painfully opposed that release on the grounds that its contents would be "misleading," and that he wanted the full report published. 

Mr. Shrederis - Mr. Shrederis contends that the "amount of money [spent on the report] is a waste," and that the "second half isn't going to come out with more than the first," labeling the first section has nothing more than "scuttlebutt." He went on to label the report as a "witch hunt," but that it was "smart they sent it to the attorney general."

Esperance 2013 Interview: Miller vs. Van Wormer

Note: The original version of this article incorrectly stated that Mr. Van Wormer had "better things to do" if his bid for reelection failed. This was a mistake on behalf of the editor and has since been corrected to reflect Mr. Van Wormer's actual quote. 

Town of Esperance residents have a choice between two leaders in next Tuesday's election for supervisor: incumbent Supervisor Earl Van Wormer and Village of Esperance Mayor Steve Miller, both of whom recently discussed the upcoming election with the Schoharie News.

Background

Van Wormer - Mr. Van Wormer, who has served as Town Supervisor for twenty years, wears many hats including code enforcement officer, pest management and poultry judge to name a few, but he is most proud of the things he has "accomplished: not just on a town but also a county level."

Miller - Mr. Miller, who has served as Village Mayor for seven years, has owned Miller's BBQ Catering for thirty years in Esperance as well as an income tax firm for almost ten in nearby Duanesburg. He also served in the U.S. Navy for twelve years - four active, eight reserve.

Campaign

Van Wormer - Mr. Van Wormer admitted he "doesn't know" which way the voters of Esperance are leaning, but that he has been going door to door and was at the time of our interview planning a newsletter stating his case for reelection to the electorate, stating that "a lot of people don't know what's been accomplished in the Town of Esperance," and that his focus is to emphasize those accomplishments - including millions in grants received from New York State for not only flood recovery but town projects and future goals of flood mitigation in Fly Creek and continuing town road repairs.

Miller - Mr. Miller stated twice that town residents are "ready for a change" and that he will appear on the Democratic line despite initial attempts from Van Wormer supporters to block his nomination at their caucus. Mr. Miller is focusing heavily on his record as Village Mayor, which includes cosmetic enhancements to both the village hall and the local pavilion as well as an ambulance for the fire department. And stated that "the reason were successful in the village is because we work together."

County Level

Van Wormer - Mr. Van Wormer's record on the county level is extensive: serving as board chairman for nearly a decade, during which he fostered a decrease in county energy costs from nearly 17 cents per kilowatt hour when he was first elected chair to 6.24 cents today - with potential for that rate to fall to 5 cents in the near future. Mr. Van Wormer also gained fishing access for residents to the Schoharie Creek. His policies, if reelected, center around expanding broadband and cell access countywide and continued flood mitigation efforts.

Miller - Mr. Miller's record is Esperance-centric, but the candidate did have comments to offer concerning the board he hopes to sit on in January: declaring that "they are not working together," are "dysfunctional" and that he would "vote the best for my people." Mr. Miller, when asked if he would remain independent of the two leading factions on the county board, responded that he wasn't going there to "make friends," but to "do business."

The Report

Van Wormer - Mr. Van Wormer has been a strong advocate of the Fitzmaurice report from its origins almost twenty months ago and motioned for the first section's release last Thursday evening after four hours of executive session. Although concerned with the ballooning costs of the investigation, Mr. Van Wormer believes it was done for the right reasons.

Miller - Mr. Miller believes that it was "sad someone was given that amount of power," referring to Personnel Director Cassandra Ethington's implications in the report and that for her to run both departments was "done illegally." He also said that he would question County Attorney Michael West for not preventing her control of the Health Department.

Final Statement

Van Wormer - "If the people want me the next couple of years, I will do it. But if they think Steve Miller is the better man: I got other things I can do in this world." He concluded by saying that he does "all I can do to help everybody."

Miller - "Basically: if they vote for me they are going to get someone who's going to work for them," and his "financial background is strong," with years of public and private budgetary experience.

Milone's Budget Holds Taxes Steady in 2014

The Town of Schoharie has been through a lot over the last two years and many have been concerned that a sharp tax increase could hinder the recovery. The concerns of the voters has been listened to and the Town Board have passed a budget that reflects this.

With all of the issues, the Town Board is passing a budget with a tax increase of just .09%. With all of the special districts included, levy increases to 6.52 per thousand from 6.36 per thousand. Much of this increase comes from the nearly $9,000 that had to be budgeted in case of a new Supervisor. Mr. Milone currently donates his salary back to the Town.

Opinion: Both Desmond and Travis Fine Choice for Sheriff

The Schoharie News brought our readers three informative and wide-ranging interviews with each of next week's candidates for county sheriff back in September, with the end result being a better understanding of where each candidate stands and one very unsure editor of a then small news project.

 

All three offered strong first impressions and came off as knowledgeable in the field of their collective expertise. Sheriff Desmond and Chief Travis particularly impressed me, while Deputy Ethington had a certain charm about him.

 

However, in the end, the office of sheriff is one of the more honorable positions in local government. It carries a distinct job description that ultimately could lead to its occupants harm or even death, as occurred in this county when Sheriff Henry Steadman was murdered by a prisoner who concealed his revolver in 1930, and because of this the individual we put in charge of it must be of the highest caliber. With great power comes great responsibility and as such the decision must not be made lightly.

 

Which is why the Schoharie News is proud to endorse both incumbent Tony Desmond and Chief Larry Travis for Sheriff in next Tuesday's election.

 

We honestly believe that after months of consideration and learning about both men, that either would effectively serve the citizens of Schoharie Count atop our law enforcement apparatus: Sheriff Desmond holds a loyalty and passion for the men and women who work under him that speaks volumes, while no one could touch the respect and admiration that Chief Travis has for enforcing the law.

 

Both men understand the threat that illegal drug use poses to our residents and have effectively waged an offensive on their particular drug of expertise. The result of which has been the removal of drugs and thugs from Schoharie County's communities, with the Sheriff's department combating marijuana and Cobleskill police cracking down on heroin use.

 

Obviously it is impossible to vote for both candidates and only one can win next Tuesday. That decision is ultimately up to a majority (or in this case, likely a plurality) of voters who make their choice at the ballot box and our only advisement is that they take the time to consider both viable candidates and reach a conclusion without allowing outside forces, or fringe candidates, to cloud their judgment.

 

Oh, and as for the unsure editor, his vote next Tuesday is still yet to be determined.