Chautauqua County Home sale voted down
Its been a contentious matter in Chautauqua county for years: whether or not to sell the county home. The Chautauqua County Legislature took up the issue again Wednesday night.
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MAYVILLE, N.Y. — There's been heavy discussion to privatize the county home for years and the motion is typically defeated. Wednesday night was no different. The vote to sell the home received 15 yes votes, and nine no votes.
After a close vote in January, Chautauqua County Executive Greg Edwards tried to amend a law that would allow for the sale with a simple majority vote. Right now, a two-thirds majority vote is needed to sell the home.
However, that amendment was also voted down.
County home employees and residents spoke out at Wednesday's meeting, pleading for it to stay open.
While Edwards says the sale is important to balance the budget, legislator Lori Cornell believes the law shouldn't be changed.
"The simple majority is in place for a reason. The sale of a property is permanent. We can't go back and reverse the sale unlike any other county resolutions," said Cornell, (D).
Meanwhile, residents wonder if the quality of care could change under new management.
"Would you deprive them of decent retirement atmosphere in their declining years?" asked Joseph Carrus, County Home residents' council president.
"There's no way to dispute that the county home last year, 2012, lost and I'll defer to Mr. Nazarro, but it was over $8,600 every day in its operation," said Edwards, (R).
Despite the vote, Edwards says he's going to continue to look for buyers for the county home.