In Thurman, heated argument leads to exodus

ATHOL | After an hour-long argument about whether the Town of Thurman was in a solid financial position or not — and after Town Supervisor Cynthia Hyde and Town Councilwoman Joan Harris walked out of the special board meeting held last Friday — the three remaining board members voted unanimously to postpone compensation for all but one of the government's elected officials, pay off a $300,000 debt to the bank, and temporarily lay off the town's six hourly workers. The decisions followed Glens Falls National Bank placing a "hold" last week on about $191,000 of the town's general account to secure loan repayment, and the board members learning that the town had only about $34,000 available in their bank accounts to pay ongoing town operations other than highway-related expenses. In contrast, in early January 2017 immediately before former town supervisor Evelyn Wood resigned, the town had $410,000 set aside in savings and unexpended balances. Hyde had suggested paying back only a portion of the bank loan — and making installment payments toward the remaining overdue balance, but Seaman said she had talked to bank officials, and they needed the delinquent debt paid back as soon as possible. Hyde walked out of the meeting after contending that the town could forestall paying the bank back until the state legislature passed a home-rule measure that would legitimize the loan, and after a quarterly sales tax revenue check was received, likely in early August. "We'll be quickly getting a whole bunch of money from sales tax — were not in bad shape at all," Hyde said, contending that the austerity measures, effective July 2, were too drastic. Board member Gail Seaman countered that there was "no guarantee" the legislature would reconvene in several weeks and pass the home rule-legislation. Hyde said she had "run into somebody who had run into somebody" that said the home-rule approval was imminent. The home-rule legislation would grant retroactive approval to a $313,000 loan the town received last year to develop two new town wells and supply water to six homes and town buildings after groundwater around the town hall was contaminated by runoff from the town's former road-salt stockpile. The legislation was a legal necessity because the loan was obtained without first getting approval from the state comptroller, which is required for towns in which the assessed value of state land is more than 30 percent. 'THIS IS MY FULL-TIME JOB' The town board's June 29 resolution calls for compensation for elected and appointed officials to be postponed until the town receives revenue to both pay off an overdue bill of $50,000 from Warrensburg Emergency Medical Services for their annual contract with the town, and have a balance to meet its routine payroll. "Public safety comes first," Seaman said. Hyde objected to the resolution repeatedly when it was proposed. "This is my full-time job — I am not giving up my pay!" she said. "We'll quickly be getting a whole bunch of money from sales tax; we're not in bad shape at all." Seaman countered that the measure only postponed issuing paychecks. The temporary "hold" on hourly workers pay means that Thurman's hourly workers — the deputy town clerk, the supervisor's secretary/town bookkeeper, one part-time landfill attendant, a town maintenance worker, the cemetery maintenance worker and a town hall cleaner will be laid off for about five weeks. One position exempted from the layoffs was that of town court clerk, who was allotted eight hours work per month to conduct her duties. Seaman said that citizens in town had volunteered to accomplish the work that the hourly employees routinely accomplished. In another action, the three remaining members of the town board voted to pay the two bands booked to perform in the town's first two summer concerts. Hyde earlier had proposed that all the bands appearing this summer be paid, but Seaman countered that the contracts had not been signed, and she had questions about a local booking agent profiting from the payments. Seaman noted that town highway superintendent Pat Wood had volunteered to spend extra time at the landfill if necessary, and it would continue to be open its regular hours. His salary, which is drawn from a separate bank account that has no "hold" on it, will continue. Hyde had argued to suspend his paychecks also, but Seaman countered that keeping his compensation and the pay of all highway workers current was a matter of assuring public safety.

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In Thurman, heated argument leads to exodus

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