Matt Hicks has been going to a lot of meetings lately.
Although it has been just two weeks since he was elected as Granville supervisor, Hicks said he started going to meetings before being elected and continues to do so in preparation for taking office on Jan. 1.
“I’ve been studying, going to the town rooms, meeting with people like the budget officer,” Hicks said.
“I’m just meeting with people in the town government I need to touch base with trying to get up to speed in that regard,” Hicks said.
Taking on the task of town supervisor has a bit of a learning curve so Hicks said he’s been going to meetings and sitting down with the people he will start working with on a regular basis after the first of the year.
In addition to meeting with interim Supervisor Beverly Tatko, Hicks said, he also plans to meet with highway superintendent John Tanner and former Supervisor John Cosey to help get the lay of the land.
“I’m still barely scratching the surface,” Hicks said.
Hicks attended both the Washington County budget presentation at the Granville village hall and the Nov. 12 public hearing on the tentative budget in Fort Edward.
“It was obvious that the majority of the people there did not want the transfer stations closed,” Hicks said.
With the tax levy increase down to just over 3 percent and the county transfer stations back in the budget, Hicks said he thought the board had done a good job trimming the budget while still providing the services people have made clear they want.
Since becoming a supervisor-elect, Hicks said he’s learning more about town and county government in greater detail seemingly every day.
“It’s a matter of more things come to light; they’re more apparent post-election. The devil is in the details,” Hicks said.
Hicks declined to comment on how his vote might go if he were in the chair currently occupied by Tatko. Tatko has been outspoken at the county about the need for a zero percent tax levy increase at the county level.
“I’m not prepared to make that kind of statement,” he said. “I’m still going through the budget trying to get a better feel for it,” Hicks said.
“I think they’ve (supervisors) done a good job in that 10 days ago it was 18 percent and the transfer stations were out, now it’s 3.2 and the transfer stations are back in – and I’m not sure they’re done yet,” Hicks said,
With the county and town budgets behind him by the time he takes office, Hicks said he’s not sure at this point what his first issue or initial focus will be, so he plans to do what he’s been doing so far and listen.
