NORWICH – At this month’s meeting of the Chenango County Board of Supervisors, City of Norwich Supervisor James J. McNeil attempted to follow the money trail of a traffic safety grant coming to the county from Albany.

The $9,000 grant would go to the Sheriff’s Office and is intended to reduce unsafe driving behaviors such as aggressive driving and speeding. The board had already approved application for the safety grant, as it has annually for the past several years. A resolution before the board last week was required to receive the money.

McNeil, a Democrat, questioned whether the grant would be used to supplement payroll or to enhance operations.

“This is in the form of a grant, or what some people might call ‘free money,’ but it’s still taxpayers’ money. We are supposed to use the money to reduce unsafe driving behavior. Isn’t this what the Sheriff’s Department patrols are paid to do anyway?” he asked.