DELHI _ The Delaware County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution Wednesday to spend $25,000 to pay for legal fees to fight the New York Regional Interconnect project.
Hancock Supervisor Sam Rowe has been representing Delaware County in the fight against the proposed power line.
Rowe read a statement he presented to the state Public Service Commission. In it, he outlined the sacrifices he said county residents have made over the years to benefit others. In particular, he discussed the county's role in being the drinking-water source for New York City and surrounding areas.
He also noted natural-gas interests _ "four sites have been identified for test wells in the town of Hancock" _ as well as the county's previous invasion by large power lines.
"We are the home to the Marcy South power line that ripped a swath across our county and towns, destroying several hundred acres of harvestable timber," his statement read, in part.
Rowe said members of NYRI have accused county residents of being NIMBYs _ Not In My Back Yard _ but added, "If we can be accused of anything, let us be accused of being temperamental about what little backyard we have left.
"We don't need this ill-conceived power line and certainly can't afford it," Rowe continued.
He said $2.7 million is being spent by counties, towns and villages to fight the NYRI proposal.
In support of the resolution, board Chairman James Eisel said, "We are that close to winning and we cannot stop fighting. We really need to support this fight."
Delhi Supervisor Peter Bracci said, "I have suspected for a long time that this is a Trojan horse, and that anywhere they put it is a disaster."
Chenango County has appropriated funding toward battling NYRI, and Otsego County board members have discussed doing the same.
At Wednesday's meeting, the Delaware board also approved new transportation bids for early intervention and preschool special-education programs.
Bonnie Hamilton, county Public Health director, said 19 children use the state-mandated transportation.
Walton Supervisor John Meredith said the unfunded mandate costs the county $600,000 a year.
A suggestion was made that the county should purchase its own bus rather than contract with transportation companies, but Hamilton said it was almost impossible to meet all the state requirements.
In other business, Colchester Supervisor Bob Homovich noted that New York City has not paid all its land taxes in the town of Middletown.
Middletown Supervisor Len Utter said the city has paid taxes on all of the properties acquired through the land-acquisition program, but has not paid about $1 million in taxes due on the city's wastewater-treatment plant and on two large parcels of land near the Pepacton Reservoir.
Utter said he is pursuing the matter, but it was agreed that the issue should be brought up at the Coalition of Watershed Towns meeting to see if other areas are affected.
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Patricia Breakey can be reached at 746-2894 or at stardelhi@stny.rr.com.
