A power struggle is emerging in the waning days of the Republican-controlled Onondaga County Legislature. Democrats are crying foul over a dozen board appointments by the county executive and outgoing chairman.
Appointments are typically routine and get unanimous support. Chairman Tim Burtis noted that as he defended filling the seats.
“We're just trying to close out my time here and address it and not leave it open-ended for anybody else to second guess," Burtis said. "To make sure that we have the right people there at this important time in the county's history. We have a lot of change coming.”
Most of the appointments are for powerful boards that oversee critical economic development plans as Micron prepares to build its massive chip fabs. Burtis says he’s been working during his two years as chairman to vet candidates. But Democratic floor leader Nodesia Hernandez said it doesn’t take that long to find appointees, and she became suspicious.
“Because I did hear some conversations about people being asked just now to be appointed to these boards, and it's not something they were asked months ago,” Hernandez said.
Until now, Hernandez said she and Burtis have had a respectful and transparent working relationship. For instance, she said Burtis would make courtesy calls about most anything on the agenda, including board appointees.
“And that just didn't happen this time," she said. "There were some rumors about the boards being stacked. And then it hit the Ways and Means agenda. So it felt a little different.”
Hernandez said she requested that Burtis hold the appointees for January when Democrats take control of the legislature.
For his part, Burtis denied that any appointments were politically motivated, and said he’s completing his work as chairman with integrity.
“To say that you should just leave it all to us is disingenuous and it's not who I am," Burtis said. "That would mean that we should just cancel the rest of all of our business from here to the end of the year. And that's not what I was elected to do.”
All of the appointees were approved 12 to 4, with Democrat Charles Garland joining Republicans in voting yes.
