Sullivan County Legislature adopts rule requiring acronyms be spelled out; adds line numbers to resolutions

A majority of the Sullivan County Legislature voted to require that any acronym used in a resolution or legislative document be spelled out on first reference and to add line numbers to resolution texts.

Supporters said the change will improve clarity and make resolutions easier to review and amend. A legislator who introduced the motion said, “anytime there's an acronym, it is spelled out first in any resolution and any documents and then later on used as an acronym.” The motion was seconded and, after an amendment adding a requirement for line numbers, approved by voice vote.

The rule was discussed as both a procedural and practical fix. An accounting-attorney office representative told legislators the office typically approves resolutions in coordination with the clerk and said the office could “make it a practice…to enforce the policy” by returning resolutions that do not spell out acronyms. The clerk and others described technical limits in the document-preparation software and called the process “cumbersome,” but said returning defective resolutions is a workable enforcement step.

Legislators debated how strictly to enforce the rule. One legislator asked what would happen if the rule were not followed; the accounting-attorney representative and the clerk said nonconforming resolutions could be sent back for edits before being accepted. The clerk said she would circulate guidance to resolution authors about how to include line numbers in the county’s document format.

The Legislature approved the combined policy (spell out acronyms; include line numbers) after a motion, an amendment to add line numbers and a voice vote. No roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

The new practice, supporters said, is intended to improve transparency and reduce confusion when staff, attorneys and legislators review and amend documents.