MONTICELLO – Sullivan County was the recipient of its first busload of 80 asylum seekers from New York City on Thursday.
County Legislature Chairman Rob Doherty said the county was given less than 24 hours’ notice that they were coming.
When they arrived a little after 5 p.m., they were dropped off at the Knights Inn in Liberty.
While New York City is footing the bill for the migrants, Doherty said by their being there, they are hurting the local economy.
“In 1969, we had 71,000 hotel rooms; we have less than 2,000 now,” he said. “The county is busier and busier every year. Tourism has taken off; we have invested heavily in tourism and now we are losing bed space for people who come and stay during our peak season.”
The chairman said the way New York City, the state and federal governments are approaching this issue is “reckless and unsustainable.”
Speaking for the entire county legislature, Doherty said they “in no way agree with this forced approach to a problem that leaders at the city, state and federal level have had years for which to plan.”
He said the county will do “what it needs to do – including availing itself of all rights and remedies provided by law – to oppose this ill-times and poorly planned process, while at the same time ensuring the safety of our residents and businesses, and those who come here.”
Community activist Sandy Oxford said the community will help the newcomers as best they can.
“We are going to put our best foot forward and try to lessen the stress and lessen the burden and help out the newcomers,” she said.
Meanwhile, Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther (D, Forestburgh) called the situation “haphazard and uncoordinated” noting Sullivan County “is one of the poorest counties in the state, and has a hard enough time providing housing, food and services for the people already here.”
Gunther said to bring additional people into the county “who will need those very same services is frankly irresponsible, and the choice locations to house these migrants shows how ill-planned this truly was.”
