Delaware County board approves election grants, mental‑health budget transfer and public‑works lettings; accepts lead‑agency notice for Colchester bridge

The Delaware County Board of Supervisors at its meeting adopted multiple resolutions including the acceptance of two election grants, a budget transfer for the Department of Mental Health and several public‑works authorizations; the board also accepted a lead‑agency notice for the replacement of a Colchester bridge.

The measures were approved mostly by roll call; the bridge notice was adopted by voice vote.

Board members moved quickly through several routine items before devoting discussion to a budget amendment for the Department of Mental Health. A board member said the county now bears roughly half of a state‑mandated cost and that the county budget had a $50,000 line entered by a staff member identified as Doug. “We’ve talked about this before. … It’s just so expensive. And it’s court ordered, and we have nothing we can do anything about it,” the board member said, adding that the county had already spent money early in March and that some years the expense had been minimal.

The same speaker said the request covered January and involved two people held under the court orders; staff could not say when those people would be released. The board member also said Delaware County Mental Health does not receive documentation about patients in the program. Another board member asked when the state stopped contributing to the cost; a participant recalled that the state contribution ended about five to six years earlier.

County officials said the $50,000 line was included during budget work as a conservative placeholder because the annual need is uncertain. One board member said the preference is to use contingency funds rather than “pad” the regular budget for an expense that may not be needed.

Other items

- Resolutions to accept election funding: The board adopted a 2024 budget amendment to accept a general election grant for the Board of Elections and a separate 2024 budget amendment to accept a ballot‑by‑mail grant for the Board of Elections. Both measures were taken by roll call.

- Public works lettings: The board approved annual authorizations for awards from the Department of Public Works relating to February 2025 lettings; those items were presented as routine and approved by roll call.

- Colchester bridge: The board accepted a notice of lead agency status for replacement of Bridge 73 (PIN 9755.49) in the town of Colchester, Delaware County. A board member asked who else could claim lead agency; the response named the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the state Department of Transportation and the town of Colchester as possible claimants. The board approved the notice by voice vote.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 53 — 2024 budget amendment: acceptance of general election grant (Board of Elections): adopted (roll call).

- Resolution 54 — 2024 budget amendment: acceptance of ballot‑by‑mail grant (Board of Elections): adopted (roll call).

- Resolution 55 — 02/2025 budget amendment: transfer of funds, Department of Mental Health: adopted (roll call). Discussion focused on court‑ordered costs, a $50,000 budget placeholder and uncertainty about state contributions and reporting on individuals in the program.

- Resolution(s) authorizing awards — Department of Public Works (lettings of Feb. 2025): adopted (roll call). Presented as routine annual authorizations.

- Resolution 60 — Notice of lead agency status for replacement of Bridge 73 (PIN 9755.49), town of Colchester: adopted (voice vote).

After the votes, the board chair asked county counsel to remain for an attorney‑client consultation.

The board did not provide a detailed funding breakdown for the mental‑health transfer beyond the $50,000 placeholder entered during budget work; the county indicated some costs are court ordered and that the state stopped contributing in prior years.