The Sullivan County Legislature is not happy with the Board and Administration of Sullivan County Community College (SCCC), but thankfully they are not allowing their anger spill over and jeopardize the education of students.
SCCC has been a hotbed of issues for years, and last week while approving their budget, legislators got a lot off their chests.
Ron Hiatt spent over 10 minutes in a bold ranting attack on the administration. Other legislators joined him in the tirade as College President Dr. Mamie Howard Golladay and Board of Trustees Chairperson Phyllis Coombe listened on.
Much of the rage came as a result of the hard work and lobbying against the college’s Administration stemming from Ken Walter.
Walter started his endless crusade against SCCC back in 2007 when he embarked on a campaign to stop the college from building wind turbines near property his family owns. He spent the past several years looking into every aspect of the college, often annoying people while doing so. He now appears vindicated.
Hiatt told me he was enraged because “no one seemed to be willing to publicly acknowledge the very real problem which exists there. I do not accept the attitude of the administration. It seems to me cavalier, imperious and detrimental.”
Hiatt noted that Frank Armstrong said his vote was “a vote for the students and not for the Administration, and David Sager looked directly at Golladay and said he was “tired of her arrogance” and that we’d be ”watching you” and “holding your toes to the fire.”
Sager told me his faith in the administration has diminished. “The poor handling of the controversial windmill resulting in substantial financial losses and an absence of accountability or contrition leads me to believe that wholesale changes are in order.”
“I was unwilling to punish the faculty, staff or students by cutting funding. The College is an important institution and I remain committed to its mission by helping to provide top-notch, affordable college curriculum.”
Leni Binder said the college has been a tough issue. “It must succeed and be a development engine. The administration is not forthright and looks at any inquiries as a challenge and not part of due diligence. The Board cannot refuse to be open with us. Voting no on the budget does not accomplish what we want perhaps a change in administration would.”
I emailed every legislator and Golladay and Coombe seeking a comment. I point this out, because I received a disturbing phone call from a political figure claiming among other things that my columns appear slanted for Sager who is also a Senate candidate, and I should be careful. I want to make it clear that I write about issues. Several weeks ago I praised Bonacic for obtaining funding for CRMC’s Emergency Room expansion.
The issues concerning SCCC are finally being brought out in the open. Hopefully they will be corrected and not shoved under the rug.