Tired of being the odd man out, Schoharie County Treasurer Bill Cherry is resigning as the county’s budget officer.
He will, however, remain county treasurer.
Frustrated by supervisors’ support of increased funding for the Chamber of Commerce and reallocating additional sales tax monies, Mr. Cherry first vowed to quit the post in December.
He changed his mind after sitting down with Board of Supervisors Chairman Earl Van Wormer and though the two tried to work things out this time as well, Mr. Cherry decided it’s time to go.
“Bill and I talked Tuesday and he said he’s tired of always being the bad guy,” Mr. VanWormer said. “I understand that.
“Most supervisors feel Bill has done a good job…I can also understand not wanting to do something anymore.”
It was really more of the same this time, Mr. Cherry said.
In April Mr. Cherry described the county’s financial situation as critical with expected sales tax revenues down $550,000 and delinquent taxes twice what they normally are.
Supervisors agreed to freezes on hiring and buying discussed reopening union talks.
But within hours, they’d filled five vacant positions on the county payroll and Friday, Mr. Cherry said, they filled more.
“I just don’t feel the supervisors are on board,” Mr. Cherry said Saturday, “Individually, some are. But collectively, they find it difficult to say no.
“As budget officer, I’m the county’s financial consultant. But if we’re not working together, we’re not going to get anywhere. I really feel they need to be involved from the very beginning…”
Another factor is Mr. Cherry’s decision to quit as budget officer effective June 1—he usually starts work on the next year’s budget July 1—is the extra work delinquent property taxes mean for his office.
Up from $3.5-$3.8 million to twice that, he said he and his staff are putting in 10 or 11-hour days.
“If I felt we were on the same page [supervisors], I could always squeeze a few more hour out of the day,” he said. “But we’re not.”
The budget officer post pays a stipend of about $9,700 a year.
Mr. VanWormer said supervisors tried to implement some of the ideas Mr. Cherry suggested in April, but said some of the positions are mandated.
Mr. Van Wormer said they also need to be careful not to make cuts in the kinds of services people need most when they’ve lost their job.
Mr. Van Wormer said he asked Mr. Cherry for some “unifying ideas”— supervisors could work with him, and take up some of the burden when they talked last Tuesday.
“So I was kind of surprised when I got his resignation Thursday, but I knew it was coming,” he said.
Mr. Van Wormer said he shares Mr. Cherry’s concern over declining property tax revenues and said now, more than ever, the county needs to encourage economic development and growth.
He said he and the Finance Committee are “looking at some options” to filling the budget officer’s post, but wouldn’t elaborate.
“Working together with our department heads, I think we can find some good solutions,” he said.