Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Residents urge Sullivan County Legislature to reconsider Human Rights Commission appointments over officials' social-media records
Summary
Multiple residents told the Sullivan County Legislature they oppose the current Human Rights Commission membership—and the presence of legislators on the commission—citing inflammatory social-media posts and calling for greater independence and transparency.
At a Sullivan County Legislature meeting, a string of public commenters urged legislators to reconsider recent appointments to the county Human Rights Commission, saying some appointees’ public statements and social-media activity would discourage community members from filing complaints.
The comments centered on one prospective member, Bill Libelich, whose past writings were read aloud by a speaker who said they disqualified him from the commission. "If someone cannot read or write English, perhaps they just shouldn't vote," Miriam Hernandez quoted from a 2012 opinion piece attributed to Libelich and said at the meeting. Hernandez called that language "inflammatory" and said it undermined trust in a body intended to protect civil rights.
The concerns were echoed by former commission chair Judy Balaban, who said the commission must remain free of overt political agendas.…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
