Comments on: County Supervisor Raise Discourse Not Over

By: David L. Sadler

David L. Sadler — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:26:19 +0000

Why does Oneida have four supervisors
while all the towns have one?

Oneida has a mayor, the supervisors of
Oneida have no executive power like those of the towns. As far as I know
Oneida is the only city in the state
to have county supervisors.

The Town of Sullivan with the largest
population of any municipality in the
county has only one supervisor.

Eliminate the Oneida supervisors as
they are not needed as the Town of
Oneida ceased to exist April 21,1896.

By: jay cowan

jay cowan — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:29:21 +0000

You have asked everyone else to cut
their budgets and to hold the line
Shame on you for not doing the same
To be self serving like some of you
is a slap in the face to the people you
represent.

By: Jim Goldstein

Jim Goldstein — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:53:36 +0000

The proposal I made that was to forego raise for supervisors and to also hold the Deputy Board Chairman to the 2009 level which would have saved about $13,000. My proposal to require all county supervisors and management staff to cost share 10 percent of their insurance is estimated to save about $100,000. The decision by the board to vote itself a raise after misrepresenting this in the tentative and preliminary budget documents was dishonest and unethical and not necessary. Last year, we had an open process of dialgoue, debate and a vote late in annual session after the public hearings and review of the budget in more detail. My idea of a shared sacrifice by supervisors to set the tone for the next round of salary negotiations and other spending cuts that will have to come was rejected by a close vote and then prevented from being reconsidered due to the rules during annual session. I think $113,000 is a good start even if it does not seem like much in a local tax levy of $28.7 million and since we added another part-time position for the ag specialist at $19,000, we could have saved half of that — I would remind people that the vote of a few supervisors was the difference so not everyone thought the raise was appropriate.

By: Honna Bowen

Honna Bowen — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:28:59 +0000

Becker and his supporters are nickel & diming this county. Their FREE health care benefits and salaries are more than most FULL TIME residents receive. Their insensitivity to the plight of their constituents is evident, and typical of today’s governing officials.

By: Charlie Naef

Charlie Naef — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:05:10 +0000

The amount saved by gearing salary increases for supervisors to the CPI, now at zero, may be a symbolic gesture of shared sacrifice, but that does not diminish its importance.

Having voted themselves a 3% salary increase in these tough economic times with rising levels of unemployment and underemployment, the supervisors ought to redeem themselves by supporting supervisor Jim Goldstein’s resolution requiring supervisors and management level employees to make a modest 10% contribution to the premiums for the free health insurance they have taken for granted all these years. Together with a vote for Goldstein’s second resolution that would rescind their salary increases, this would be more than just a symbolic gesture of shared sacrifice. It would amount to real cost savings.

I support chairman John Becker’s leadership in moving county government in a new direction. His position on this issue that has caught the public’s attention will be a significant test of his leadership skills.