A band of Schoharie County supervisors are preparing to sue the county to overturn a move by board Chairman Harold Vroman.
The lawsuit decision comes after Mr. Vroman's action to rearrange committees on the Board of Supervisors earlier this year.
Fulton Supervisor Phil Skowfoe, the deputy chairman, said he gave an Article 78 proceeding to an attorney on Wednesday, the morning after a vote to overturn Mr. Vroman's decision failed in a close vote at a special meeting last Tuesday evening.
There is a state law that states supervisors are to remain on committees until the end of the calendar year. The committees must be restored to protect supervisors, Mr. Skowfoe said.
"If you allow this to happen, if you vote against anyone in the powers that be, you would be removed from committees," he said Friday.
"You can't let this happen to any board."
Eight supervisors--Mr. Skowfoe would not list them--have signed the lawsuit, which has not yet been filed with the County Clerk's office.
Mr. Skowfoe noted that eight represents half the board, adding, "What does that tell you?"
The issue started in April when Schoharie Supervisor Gene Milone asked the chairman to remove Jefferson Supervisor Dan Singletary as chairman of the Personnel Committee and from the contract negotiating team because, Mr. Milone said, Mr. Singletary is not neutral.
Chairman Vroman made the changes shortly afterward, to the disapproval of many members.
Attempts have been made to return the committee as named in January, but Mr. Vroman has refused to change his mind.
Mr. Skowfoe said he has met with Mr. Vroman three times on the issue.
"They don't want the fences mended," Mr. Skowfoe said.
"It seems like it will stay divided," he said. "I don't think this is good government...It seems to be getting more and more personal."
Mr. Skowfoe said he would pay for the lawsuit, if necessary.
The issue once again was addressed on the board floor last Tuesday evening.
Noting that the change in the committees is still festering on the board, Esperance Supervisor Earl VanWormer, citing the county board's orders of procedures, made a motion to appeal Mr. Vroman's decision to change the committees.
The motion failed in a close vote.
Voting to appeal the decision of the chairman and returning the committees to how they were in January were: Larry Bradt of Carlisle, Michael Brandow of Conesville, James Buzon of Middleburgh, Sandra Manko of Sharon, Mr. Milone, Phil Skowfoe of Fulton, and Mr. VanWormer.
Mr. VanWormer said he made the motion to resolve the issue without having to sue.
"I felt it's been such a tumultuous board, there's got to be a way to resolve this issue," he said Friday.
Some supervisors noted that the change in the committee came after the vote to disband the flood recovery committee and install county Treasurer Bill Cherry to head recovery efforts, an issue that split the board.
The changes may have been done because leadership did not like the way some supervisors voted, Mr. VanWormer said.
"I'd hate to think it but it seems to be punitive," he said.
"I'd hate to see the board led by that type of tyranny."
On Monday, Mr. Vroman said he only made the changes because the committees were not working well together.
"I still believe what I did was right," he said. "I believe the committees are working better now."
"They weren't functioning the way they should be and that's why I did what I did," he added, saying that he attended committee meetings earlier this year.
In May, Mr. Bradt asked Mr. Vroman to reinstate the committees as they had been named in January but Mr. Vroman refused.
Mr. Bradt was one of the supervisors removed from the committees. He cited the state law that said supervisors are to remain on committees until the end of the calendar year.
After Mr. Vroman refused to reinstate the committees, Mr. Bradt said legal action could be pursued to return the committees to how they were named in January.