NEWS
Opinion Alicia Terrys Termination is Well Past Due
It's a well worn piece of commentary at the County Building. Not every conversation goes like this, but the variations have been heard too many times to count.
"How did Alicia Terry even become Planning Department Chair?"
"Her daddy and granddaddy were County Clerk."
Whether or not Terry was hired as a legacy may be an opinion. What is a fact is that in her twenty years running Planning and Development, Schoharie County has suffered failure after failure.
- She did not step in in 2001 when Interknitting announced it would be leaving Guilford Mills to prevent the closure and loss of 700 jobs.
- She bungled the sale or use of Guilford Mills for years before County Treasurer Bill Cherry stepped in and had it sold in months.
- The Guilford failures included a logging company, Intelligent Fish, and Butternuts Brewery.
- Bungled the prospective deals to bring Lowe's to Cobleskill.
- Forged the AECOM contract without Board approval, costing the taxpayers millions.
- Not following through in Sharon hotel renovation. Multi-million dollar promises from Terry and Korean investors still go unfilled years later.
- Worked with Cassandra Ethington to manipulate county government.
- In 2012 the County unemployment rate reached 12.2%, nearing Depression levels.
- Was directly involved in at least one questionable firing during her tenure.
In fact, her one "accomplishment" was her front-and-center involvement in the $9 million water line extension from the Village of Cobleskill to Howe Caverns. A project engineered by former Mayor Mark Galasso that just happened to benefit his relative Emil.
Former Middleburgh Mayor Gary Hayes says that Terry was a 'go to' person for Middleburgh's economic growth. No recent publication or statements from Middleburgh officials seems to back that up.
Alicia Terry is well-educated, for sure. But failure after failure has shown no learning and no initiative to solve Schoharie County's myriad economic problems.
Treasurer Bill Cherry's budget is bold. It is also necessary.
If you are on the fence, just ask yourself this: is the County better off due to anything, anything that Alicia Terry has done.
"How did Alicia Terry even become Planning Department Chair?"
"Her daddy and granddaddy were County Clerk."
Whether or not Terry was hired as a legacy may be an opinion. What is a fact is that in her twenty years running Planning and Development, Schoharie County has suffered failure after failure.
- She did not step in in 2001 when Interknitting announced it would be leaving Guilford Mills to prevent the closure and loss of 700 jobs.
- She bungled the sale or use of Guilford Mills for years before County Treasurer Bill Cherry stepped in and had it sold in months.
- The Guilford failures included a logging company, Intelligent Fish, and Butternuts Brewery.
- Bungled the prospective deals to bring Lowe's to Cobleskill.
- Forged the AECOM contract without Board approval, costing the taxpayers millions.
- Not following through in Sharon hotel renovation. Multi-million dollar promises from Terry and Korean investors still go unfilled years later.
- Worked with Cassandra Ethington to manipulate county government.
- In 2012 the County unemployment rate reached 12.2%, nearing Depression levels.
- Was directly involved in at least one questionable firing during her tenure.
In fact, her one "accomplishment" was her front-and-center involvement in the $9 million water line extension from the Village of Cobleskill to Howe Caverns. A project engineered by former Mayor Mark Galasso that just happened to benefit his relative Emil.
Former Middleburgh Mayor Gary Hayes says that Terry was a 'go to' person for Middleburgh's economic growth. No recent publication or statements from Middleburgh officials seems to back that up.
Alicia Terry is well-educated, for sure. But failure after failure has shown no learning and no initiative to solve Schoharie County's myriad economic problems.
Treasurer Bill Cherry's budget is bold. It is also necessary.
If you are on the fence, just ask yourself this: is the County better off due to anything, anything that Alicia Terry has done.