By Patrick Adrian Staff Writer
CLAREMONT — The Sullivan County budget for fiscal year 2022 will have a significantly lesser tax impact than previously proposed, though opponents say the means to the reduction could adversely impact future budgets and county needs.
On Tuesday, the Sullivan County delegates, by an 8-5 vote, approved an operating budget of $34,362,168 for the upcoming fiscal year, with $14,132,423 to be raised by taxes.
The passed budget, proposed by the Executive Finance Committee, reduces the previous proposal by a total of $800,375 and lessens the projected tax increase from 9.7% in the previous proposal to 3.8%.
The budget reaches this goal through several adjustments to the county’s proposed fund transfers, including increasing revenues drawn from reserves to offset taxes and decreasing the contributions to build or replenish reserve funds.
But this approach drew strong rebuke from several delegates, who said these adjustments essentially drain or deny funds that were intended to support the proposed $54 million nursing home renovation, a project aimed to upgrade the complex’s aging infrastructure, improve operating and energy efficiency, and align residential spaces with modern standards.
Rep. Judy Aron (R-Dist. 7), a strong advocate for the renovation project, called the adjusted budget “shortsighted and irresponsible,” equating it to “kicking the can further down the road.”
“We are not making any financial preparations [with this budget],” Aron told her colleagues. “We are spending money from our one-time COVID money and [American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds instead of putting that money aside [for the renovation project].”
Many of the funds targeted by this budget were originally intended to help fund the renovation project, officials said. The approved budget withdraws an additional $200,000 from the county’s funding received through the ARPA to offset the budget’s tax impact and deletes a proposed transfer of $200,000 to the Nursing Home Reserve Fund.
The budget also deletes a proposed transfer of $60,000 to the county’s Capital Reserve Fund and reduces the proposed $800,000 contribution to the county fund balance, which is currently below a healthy level, to $400,000.
Additionally, while the budget still retains $600,000 for a first-year interest payment on a renovation project bond, the finance committee’s presentation on Monday targets that payment for a project starting in fiscal year 2023, over a year away.
County Commissioner Chair George Hebert, a usually reserved official, publicly rebuked the delegates, not only for this budget but for their heavily politicized and contentious behaviors over the past few months.
“In Sullivan County we used to pride ourselves as elected officials,” Hebert said. “Because when it came to county government we always put people ahead of politics. That has all changed since last November.”
Examples of this conduct, Hebert said, included a lack of courtesy or dismissiveness displayed toward county employees and even delegates leaving a presentation by county officials about the renovation project.
Hebert also dismissed the sincerity of the $600,000 project commitment. In reality, Herbert said, this budget cripples the county’s ability to proceed with the project through cutting its funding reserves. Additionally delegates have passed on multiple opportunities to fund the renovation already and delayed action by asking about even costlier options such as building a completely new nursing home in a different location.
“Just because you put a line item in the budget, doesn’t mean you have any intention in following through,” Hebert said. “When it comes to words versus actions, I believe in actions. I will believe it when I see it.”
Hebert said the commissioners did not have an opportunity to speak when the finance committee — composed of five delegates — developed this reduced budget proposal.
The budget vote fell mostly down party lines, with the seven Democratic Party delegates voting for the budget and five of the six Republican delegates voting against it.
Rep. Terry Spilsbury (R-Charlestown) joined the Democrats to support the budget.
Spilsbury said the 2022 fiscal budget should not be held up over the nursing home project, which still does not have the votes to secure a bond or a plan to resolve the impasse. Spilsbury said he believes the delegation can find a path forward on the renovation under this budget.
The delegation has scheduled its next meeting on Tuesday, July 27, to renew discussion of the renovation project.
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