Legislature debates whether to budget $5.4M for county nursing home; Chair warns of tax impact
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Summary
The Sullivan County Legislature debated whether to budget an estimated $5.4 million to cover nursing-home costs, with the Chair warning the added expense could push a projected 9.1% tax increase closer to about 16% if included.
The Sullivan County Legislature held a lengthy, sometimes heated debate about how to handle ongoing expenses tied to the county nursing home and whether to place those costs directly in next year’s budget.
"We have a nursing home that people have been kicking down the road for the last four years," the Chair (Speaker 2) said, arguing the legislature must either budget for the facility or stop funding repairs. "If we do not budget for the nursing home, then something has to give here... I'm not gonna keep taking money out of the cookie jar because eventually there'd be no money left to take."
Several legislators said the issue is procedurally complicated because the county currently has a contract with an outside vendor and contract particulars may need discussion in executive session. Legislator (Speaker 3) said that if the county instead put the nursing home costs directly in the budget, it could be listed as a line item and would not necessarily force the current 9.1% tax increase higher if adjustments to the non-spendable fund balance were used.
Chair and other members cited rough cost estimates and receivables: one legislator said county expenditures on the care center are approximately $1 million per quarter and suggested a county-run facility could cost roughly $5 million annually. Chair stated that adding the nursing home into the budget as proposed could raise the overall tax increase toward about 16% (from 9.1% currently discussed), though members disagreed on exact figures and on whether past numbers were accurate.
A procedural motion to return a related resolution to the table was moved by Terry Bernardo and seconded; the motion failed on a roll call. Earlier in the meeting the legislature approved Resolution number 1 authorizing the county manager to execute an agreement with Thompson Sanitation.
Public commenters raised related concerns throughout the meeting: Pamela Zajic, a longtime resident, said rising electric bills and property taxes worry older residents and opposed the casino and a proposed incinerator in a village; other public speakers urged clearer planning and noted emotional impacts.
What’s next: No binding budget change was adopted at the meeting; legislators directed that the nursing-home matter be handled through appropriate committees and, where contract sensitivity applies, possibly in executive session.