MAYVILLE – News has come out of Mayville that County Executive Greg Edwards is planning to once again seek Legislative approval of sale of the Chautauqua County Home to Altitude Health Services, Inc. during this month’s voting session. The sale was already voted on by county lawmakers last month, with it falling one vote shy of the 17 needed for the skilled nursing facility to be sold to the company from Chicago that is owned by Avi Rothner.
In a release sent out last Friday by the legislature’s Democratic Caucus, Minority Leader Bob Whitney (D-Jamestown) said he is standing his ground and stated that he will not be bullied, nor will he allow the intelligence of his constituents to be questioned. Whitney went on to say that the idea that Jamestown residents want the County Home sold to Rothner is “hogwash.”
Whitney also said that he is not opposed to selling the County Home, only that he is opposed to selling it to Rothner, based on his findings that the Rothner family is well-known throughout the Midwest as a less-than-stellar nursing home conglomerate.
However, Supporters of the sale to Altitude Health Services– including County Legislators Larry Barmore (R-Gerry) and Vince Horrigan (R-Bemus Point) – are quick to point out that poor nursing home ratings come from the homes owned by Rothner’s father. They add that the handful of nursing homes owned primarily by Avi Rothner have received good marks in various reports.
On Jan. 23, the legislature voted 16 to 9 in favor of selling the home to Rothner – which was one vote short of the 17 needed to approve the sale of county property.
In addition to Whitney, the other legislators voting against the sale were Keith Ahlstrom (D-Dunkirk), Lori Cornell (D-Jamestown), William Coughlin (D-Fredonia), Tom DeJoe (D-Brocton), Bob Duff (R-Sheridan), Shaun Heenan (D-Dunkirk), Tim Hoyer (D-Jamestown) and Bob Scudder (R-Fredonia).
The Legislature’s next voting session in Wednesday, Feb. 27 in Mayville.
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