MONTICELLO – After much deliberation, the Sullivan County Legislature adopted their 2025 Budget, via an 8-1 vote, at a special meeting on Thursday, December 12. District 9 Legislator Terry Blosser-Bernardo was opposed to the $303 million budget. 

The budget comes with a 2.5 percent tax levy increase to cover general cost increases as well as the continuation of the new EMS fly car system. $2.7 million was budgeted to continue the fly car system, which has been successful in its early months per EMS Coordinator Alex Rau. 

“I’m very happy with the money we’ve earmarked for the EMS fly cars,” said District 6 Legislator Luis Alvarez, Chair of the Public Safety and Law Enforcement Committee. “I’ve been the foremost advocate of this new system and it’s already been a lifesaving success.”

The only portion of the budget to have greater funding than the fly car system was $21.6 million for road and bridgework throughout the County, to be achieved without going into debt by bonding. 

Before the budget was adopted, legislators debated amendments that were proposed to be made, including one that would increase the garbage disposal cost at the Seneca Falls landfill. 

Blosser-Bernardo recommended amending the proposed 25 percent increase of costs for solid waste in the budget and decreasing it from $3 million to $1.365 million. This proposed amendment failed via a 2 yes, seven no vote, with Blosser-Bernardo and District 2 Legislator and Chair Nadia Rajsz voting yes. 

Thompson Sanitation’s Scott Mace pleaded with the board, stating that “a huge increase of 25 percent is way too much for the company to endure.” He noted that customers are sharing cans and dumping garbage into one can because they can’t afford the bill. 

Mace also said that the company is paying their fair share and that the extra 25 percent is not subsidizing the haulers. 

“Now you’re dumping on another 25 percent and that number adds up to $750,000,” Mace said. “That’s 10 percent of our annual sales from last year, and nobody is marking that sort of gross profit in this business.”

Mace also talked about how they cut costs this year and found efficiencies, pleading with the Legislature to do the same. 

“Seneca Meadows was raised by 11 percent, where is the other 14 percent coming from?” Mace pondered to the board. “There is no increase for someone bringing garbage directly to the landfill - only for haulers. Please rethink this and find an alternate solution.”

The board decided to push off the discussion on tipping fees until the Department of Public Works (DPW) Committee meeting after the public hearing on the budget. In that meeting, the board heard from DPW Commissioner Ed McAndrew who gave his opinion on the matter. After further debate, the committee decided to make tripping fees for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) $130.50 a ton starting on January 1 before increasing it to the full rate of $150 per ton on July 1. The tipping fee for Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste will remain at $150 beginning on January 1. 

District Attorney Brian Conaty and Sullivan County Sheriff Mike Schiff stood in unity regarding fighting and prosecuting crime in the county. The budget helps to tackle this, with the DA’s office being budgeted with a new full-time Special Assistant to search, apply for and advance on state and federal grants to help the office lessen the burden on the taxpayers. 

Conaty noted that the staffing rate of Assistant District Attorneys (ADAs) since he took over the office has gone up from 50 percent to 90 percent. He added evidence to why the extra help is needed, as he said that one ADA handled 117 cases just last week alone. 

The budget also includes an additional investigator in the DA’s office as well as several other new positions across the county - another dispatcher at the 911 Center, a grant writer, a health & wellness coordinator in the Public Safety Division, three Social Services caseworkers, two Social Services aides and several instructors for both the Bureau of Fire and the Bureau of EMS. 

“I’m relieved the budget passed; however, there were some departments that were not treated fairly,” said Legislature Chair Nadia Rajsz. “It included a five percent raise for most management/confidential employees, and I’m hoping we address our union employees in the coming year at least with a comparable increase.

“We still have work to do that will continue throughout the year to address various concerns raised by employees and the public,” agreed District 1 Legislator Matthew McPhillips. “But I’m proud of the work we’ve accomplished in funding the new EMS fly cars, and I look forward to continuing to improve the County in 2025.”

“This Legislature, though new, deeply understands the obstacles and challenges faced every day by our citizens, and we’re listening to how they want us to proceed,” noted District 3 Legislator Brian McPhillips. 

“It’s a good budget,” added District 4 Legislator Nick Salomone. “We stayed under the property tax cap, so I’m happy.”

“As a first-year legislator, I found this process interesting, to say the least,” said District 5 Legislator Cat Scott. “I’m looking forward to tackling the budget a bit earlier next year.”

“I’m glad the budget passed, but I think there are challenging times ahead,” explained District 7 Legislator Joe Perrello. “This Legislature is going to have to pay close attention to our finances in the months and years ahead, in order to avoid overburdening taxpayers.”

“The 2025 Budget we passed today does right by the people we serve and the phenomenal staff we employ,” said District 8 Legislator Amanda Ward. 

Michelle Huck appointed to Deputy County Manager

Before they adopted the 2025 county budget, the Sullivan County Legislature also approved the appointment of Assistant County Manager Michelle Huck to the newly created Deputy County Manager position, which is included in the budget. The appointment passed, 7-2, with Rajsz and Scott opposed. Rajsz noted that she is not in favor of the salary, which is $129,604. 

Rajsz referenced the starting salary for Grade 10 employees on the management confidential salary schedule being $117,810 and that this is a “hefty increase”. 

However. the maximum salary for that grade is $160,650 and the salary schedule also includes longevity being paid $200 per year of service with no cap for existing service. 

Huck began her career in 2002 working for the Sullivan County Legislature, before transitioning to the County Manager’s Office in 2007. She has been the Acting Deputy County Manager since January and the Assistant County Manager since February 2020.