Schoharie County supervisors are already looking to change the administrator local law on hiring an administrator less than three weeks after adopting it.
At a special meeting Wednesday afternoon, a split county board agreed to hold a public hearing on a revised local law on hiring an administrator on Tuesday, March 31 at 5pm.
They also agreed, in an even tighter vote, not to hold a public hearing proposed by Phil Skowfoe of Fulton to abolish the administrator's position which was established on February 20.
The revised law is similar to the one that was approved by a slim margin in February, according to Bill Federice of Conesville, who headed the committee that recommended the position last fall.
The new law, he added, eliminates several redundancies and ambiguous items and reflects the input from the public, county employees and department heads.
The updated law removes sections on budgeting and auditing from the administrator's duties.
There was little debate on holding the public hearing on the altered law, except for Mr. Skowfoe asking why the hearing could not be held during the board's regular meeting in April.
Mr. Skowfoe blasted the board's action after the vote.
"If we're going to amend something you passed the other day, why pass it?" he told supervisors."
His motion to hold a public hearing on his local law failed in a close vote.
After the second vote, Mr. Skowfoe once again lambasted his fellow board members.
"I can see what the members of this board think of the public," he said. "I'm very disappointed...
"This has turned out to be one of the most political fiascos since I've been on the board and I'm totally ashamed of you."
Supervisors, he added, want to change the original law because of a "handshake agreement" made behind closed doors.
Gene Milone of Schoharie defended the board's action.
Members of the public have been given the opportunity to speak, he told supervisors.
The board, he added, has "bent over backwards to" to get input.
He did admit that the board should have voted on the amended version when it was first mentioned at the February meeting.
Supervisors Earl VanWormer of Esperance, Jim Buzon of Middleburgh, and Sandy Manko of Sharon also criticized supervisors for not holding a public hearing on Mr. Skowfoe's law.
"I'm disappointed all the way around," Mr. VanWormer said.
"To take it out of the public's hands...I guess we're setting precedent."
A second public hearing, according to Mr. Buzon, provides a choice for the public.
Mr. Buzon voted in favor of the original law last month, but did not support the amended law. At the time, Mr. Buzon said he was "dismayed that the law was changed."
He spoke against the amended law again last week.
The county's budget officer, Treasurer Bill Cherry, does a good job, "but an administrator should have a good working idea of the budget process," Mr. Buzon added.
"You're not going to have my vote for this."
Ms. Manko wondered why a special meeting had to be held to set the public hearing.
"It appears to me you're trying to ram it through."
At the end of the special meeting Wednesday, Mr. Skowfoe gave supervisors "a chance to redeem themselves" and made a motion to set a hearing on his law at the regular April meeting.
It failed by the same count with Carl Barbic of Seward, Mr. Federice, Sean Jordan of Jefferson, Dick Lape of Richmondville, Leo McAllister of Cobleskill and Mr. Milone voting against it. Amber Bleau of Wright, who was injured in an auto accident on the way to the meeting, and Larry Bradt of Carlisle, were absent Wednesday.
Mr. Bradt voted against the original administrator law. If he votes in favor of a public hearing on Mr. Skowfoe's law, it would pass by a very slim margin.