By HEATHER NELLIS

Recorder News Staff

HOWES CAVE -- The state Legislature granted Otsego County the ability to withdraw from the Montgomery-Otsego-Schoharie Solid Waste Authority last week, and officials are still trying to determine the implications for their respective counties.

Keith O. McCarty, an Otsego County representative on the MOSA board, said the bill is effective immediately, but it will likely take some time for the authority to divide its assets and for Otsego County to figure out what it will do with its trash.

"I don't think anything will happen overnight. We don't have a transfer station to take care of until everything is split," he said, noting both Otsego County transfer stations are set to revert to the ownership of the city of Oneonta and the Clark Foundation upon Otsego County's withdrawal from MOSA. "It could happen in a year, but three county boards and the MOSA board have to split the assets and I don't see that happening too fast."

The authority's tri-county service agreement is not set to expire until 2014, but MOSA Board Chairman and Root town Supervisor John Thayer doesn't believe Otsego County will wait that long to withdraw.

"If that was the case, why would they go to the Legislature if they were just going to leave [in 2014] anyway?" Thayer said.

McCarty said Otsego County's biggest concern is the revenue gap penalty, which requires the counties to make up for revenue shortfalls.

"We have no control over it," he said. "Do I think MOSA is bad? No, but we have to think and see what happens. Maybe MOSA will still be cheaper than something else. A lot of people just don't like MOSA. Maybe we should just change its name."

Thayer is concerned about the bill's directive to split MOSA assets by county population considering it would reduce Montgomery County's share from 42 percent to 34.5 percent.

"We pay 42 percent but we only get 34.5 percent back?" he questioned, adding he believes Montgomery County shouldn't have to make up the shortfall when Otsego County secedes.

Thayer said there hasn't been an opportunity yet for Montgomery County officials to come together to discuss the financial implications. He said the issue was not discussed at MOSA's meeting Thursday, noting Otsego County representatives were "mum."

McCarty took issue with Montgomery County's position it was "blind-sided" by the legislation.

"It's not true. Everyone knew the talk about diffusement. And if anyone else had the opportunity, they would have done the same thing," he said.

The Senate approved the bill June 13; the Assembly on Friday. State Sen. Hugh T. Farley was the only one to vote against the bill, and Assemblyman George Amedore was one of 10 lawmakers to say no. Both Farley and Amedore indicated they will lobby Gov. Andrew Cuomo to veto the bill, which Thayer doesn't have much confidence in.

"You've got Republicans approaching a Democratic governor with a piece of legislation that overwhelmingly passed in both houses. I don't think the governor will veto it," Thayer said.