MONTICELLO – The final report from the Sullivan County Charter Revision Commission will be released later today and it is expected to propose the county “fundamentally alter its form of government.” That means the proposal to change from an appointed county manager to an elected county executive, which would require approval in a public referendum.
Some members of the charter commission, which has been meeting for over two years, support that change, while some county officials have said the small size of the county population does not warrant it.
The commission will also renew its recommendation to stagger terms of the nine-member county legislature with a maximum of five lawmakers on the ballot in any year.
At present, all nine are up for election at the same time, which means it is conceivable to wind up with nine new members at once. That is viewed by some as problematic since there could be no one with prior service and the institutional knowledge that comes with it.
In the last election, six of the nine seats were filled with new members.
