NORWICH – Chenango County lawmakers awarded $2.8 million in construction contracts last week for transforming the former jail and Sheriff’s Office on West Park Place into offices for the Department of Social Services.

The decision made before the full Chenango County Board of Supervisors on Monday was not without debate, however.

Town of Norwich Supervisor David C. Law said several of his constituents were questioning whether the move was “practical” economically, especially with further budget cuts coming from Albany.

Supervisor Jerry L. Kreiner of Plymouth argued that the New York State Office of Court Administration had precipitated the construction instead of the county itself.

“Who’s running the county? Are we letting the state run the county?” he asked.

The office project, located across the street from the County Office Building, is a long-term plan intended to relieve pressure for space from the courts, and one that “wouldn’t be paid for entirely by taxpayers,” said Board Chairman Richard B. Decker, R-North Norwich. Renovations are being afforded through two revenue streams, one that will flow from the New York State Department of Social Services over a 20-year time span, and another from the state court administration office, he said.