A minority of Schoharie County supervisors Friday morning passed an $85.7 million budget for 2015.
The final spending plan lowers the tax levy from the first draft and retains a position for the director of the Planning and Development Department.
In an unusual twist, the budget was passed with seven supervisors voting in favor and nine voting against. Despite more supervisors voting against the plan than voting for it, the budget, which will increase the tax levy by about five percent, was approved because of the county's weighted voting which gives more power to the towns with greater populations.
Supervisors, who met in executive session before the 9am meeting started Friday, had said little about approving a diminished position for Alicia Terry, the current director of planning and development.
County Treasurer Bill Cherry zeroed out positions for both Ms. Terry and marketing specialist Sarah Blood in his tentative budget. Ms. Terry will earn $73,393 this year and the department request was $76,470 for 2015. Ms. Blood is being paid $55,316 in 2014 and the department request was $58,817 for next year.
Both Ms. Terry, who has worked for the county for more than 20 years, and Ms. Blood, who has been employed by the county for slightly more than three years, spoke at the public hearing earlier this month and claimed that dirty politics led to the proposed cuts by Mr. Cherry.
For several years, Mr. Cherry and Ms. Terry have often been at odds when it came to the economic development success of the department.
During budget deliberations, the finance committee agreed to create a senior planning position, grade 19, at a salary of $67,502. Ms. Terry can take that position if she desires. No position was created for Ms. Blood.
Supervisors had little to say about the changes in the Planning and Development Department. Most of the discussion Friday centered on whether to increase the fare for the public transportation buses from $1 to $1.50 or $1.20.
After a protracted debate, a split county board agreed to increase the fare from $1 to $1.20.
Phil Skowfoe of Fulton argued in favor of the finance committee's proposal to increase the fare to $1.50, noting that the fare has been at a $1 for about 20 years.
Gene Milone of Schoharie responded that the Transportation Department is in the "black" and such an increase will adversely affect ridership.
Jefferson's Sean Jordan agreed.
"This (increase) is a money loser."
By decreasing the proposed hike by 30-cents from $1.50 to $1.20, the county is expected to get about $25,000 less in revenue in 2015, according to Treasurer Cherry.
In order to close some of that gap, supervisors, in another split vote, agreed to decline their pay increases for 2015, saving about $9,000.
Supervisors debated whether to eliminate the increase.
Bill Smith of Broome noted that since last year's election, supervisors have lost their mileage reimbursements.
The county, added Earl VanWormer of Esperance, needs to offer a better salary in order to continue to attract quality people for the position.
Shawn Smith of Blenheim, who made the motion to eliminate the pay hikes, countered that it was not fair to raise salaries when there is a tax increase for next year.
"We knew the salary when we ran for it," added Jim Buzon of Middleburgh.
Mr. Skowfoe responded, "No one sees the countless number of hours we put in."
The average tax rate for property will increase by about four percent. Tax rates in four towns, Esperance, Gilboa, Schoharie, and Wright, will decrease next year. The tax rate in the Town of Jefferson will increase by 12.52 percent, mostly because of a recent court decision that ruled that the Oraah camp should not be taxed.
In the end, seven supervisors voted in favor of the budget. They were: Leo McAllister of Cobleskill, Chairman Tony Van Glad of Gilboa, Mr. Jordan, Richard Lape of Richmondville, Mr. Milone, Carl Barbic of Seward, and Sandra Manko of Sharon.
Voting against it were: Shawn Smith, William Smith, Larry Bradt of Carlisle, Bill Federice of Conesville, Mr. VanWormer, Mr. Skowfoe, Mr. Buzon, Harold Vroman of Summit, and Amber Bleau of Wright.