By Missy Hayes

Community Columnist

I am writing to encourage Chenango County residents to attend two upcoming county events: 1) the Board of Supervisors meeting at 10:30 a.m. Monday, July 13, at the county office building, 5 Court St., Norwich, and 2) the Open House, also at the county office building, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 14.

The board meeting is open to the public, and on the agenda is Resolution No. 7-8, authorizing the creation of the Department of Human Services to consolidate the Department of Social Services, Preston Manor Home for Adults and the Area Agency on Aging under one umbrella. If passed, this resolution will cut eight Area Agency on Aging, or AAA, staff positions and add three new AAA positions, for a net loss of five positions. According to the Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, the county must obtain approval from the New York State Office for the Aging, or NYSOFA, because the AAA is a federally designated entity under the Older Americans Act, or OAA, and must continue to meet both federal and state requirements.

In my opinion, there are three major concerns should this resolution pass. First, the Chenango County Board of Supervisors has not received approval from NYSOFA, which means that, if the resolution passes and is implemented, the board could jeopardize the funding received from the state for AAA, which is approximately $1.14 million in the county’s 2026 budget. Second, with the net loss of five staff positions, the remaining staff will need to increase their caseloads, and AAA clients may have to wait longer to receive benefits. Lastly, because the aging population is growing and NYSOFA is continually looking to add programs to assist seniors, I’m concerned that the Board of Supervisors is reducing staff instead of planning for future growth in this population sector. Please plan to attend this board meeting and bring your neighbors, family members and any resident who believes services for our aging population are important.

The Open House on Tuesday will provide information about the proposed new county office building. I believe the Board of Supervisors intends to move forward with this project. Staff and project representatives will be available to answer questions. Information concerning design, layout, financing, etc. will be available.

This project was first brought to the public’s attention in July 2025 when The Evening Sun published an article. The project was estimated at $35 million. According to minutes from an April 14, 2026, meeting involving Hunt Engineers and county representatives, the current total project cost was 6.82% over budget, totaling $37,562,044.08. The minutes state that the county would be comfortable being within 5% of the budget. The anticipated bid period is fall 2026, with construction starting in March 2027. The county plans to borrow $35 million upfront.

If you’ve read my articles over the past year, you are aware of my opinion on this project. To summarize, I don’t feel the county building should be the nicest, newest building in town, considering all the challenges Chenango County residents are facing. A new building is a shell from which services are distributed, but there are no new, better or additional services planned - at least none that have been communicated. The DPW building has been in terrible condition for many years, providing unacceptable working conditions for employees, and it houses high-value vehicles and equipment necessary for repairing and maintaining our roads. Why isn’t the new DPW project the priority? Lastly, and probably most importantly, where are the transparency, accountability and integrity residents deserve from their elected officials? Have they asked for your thoughts, needs or opinions?

Please attend the Open House with all your questions. Bring your neighbors and family members along. I plan to be there too, around 5:45 p.m., because I am a working business owner. I look forward to meeting many of you.

(This editorial reflects the opinion of the author.)