Legislature Appoints Stephen DeGroat To Finance Commissioner

Tuesday night’s county legislature meeting opened with a unanimous vote on the commissioner of finance and budget director. This is of no surprise as the legislature's Budget & Finance Committee unanimously voted in favor of the appointment last week, but last night's vote made it official.

After being the deputy commissioner for a year and a half,  of South Nyack is now the permanent commissioner. He started the position on March 16, 2011 and held it for three 6-month appointments.

He asks the public to be patient with the financial state of the county.

“It’s tough financially but we’re going to get through this. We’re starting to change things and we’re starting to go in the right direction, but it’s a slow process. It’s going to take time,” he said. “I’m certain that the legislature working with the county exec together as they have been we will get through these financial difficulties.”

It was a unanimous vote from the 14 of the 17 legislators, however, when the motion was made, everyone but Legislator Ed Day seconded it. Legislators Harriet Cornell, Doug Jobson and Jay Hood were absent from the meeting.

“I certainly respect Mr. DeGroat. My thinking is very simple,” said Day. “We’re in the middle of a financial crisis. He has been at the helm for a year and a half. I have heard nothing but, at best, a tepid endorsement to date from the county executive. While I respect the county executive’s position to appoint very much so—it’s someone who has to work for him—I do not believe, given the condition of this county, that we should automatically be seconding nominations. I certainly voted for him (but) given where we are, the wholesale seconding of this type of motion, I could not agree with. It’s nothing personal.”