For nearly 19 months the investigation into Cayuga County's handling of the removal of asbestos from the local Board of Elections has dragged on.

Adjournment after adjournment in the sentencing of county carpenter John Chick, coupled with his still being on the county's payroll, should exasperate every taxpayer in Cayuga County. Ensuring that this drawn-out drama continues is the testimony of his supervisor, Ernie DeCaro, in federal court earlier this week about his knowledge of what Chick was doing and what he did or didn't do with the information. This unexpected twist makes most afternoon soaps seem bland by comparison.With the sentencing hearing of Chick not to resume until Oct. 29, eight days before Election Day, it is clear that his sentencing is likely not to occur before Election Day 2007 - some 21 months after this story first broke. That being the case, voters may not know anything more than they do now about who was involved and to what degree. It is likely that legislators who are up for re-election will use the standard ploys to avoid talking about this issue, from “under the advice of legal counsel” to “this is a personnel matter” to rebuff questions.

The one person who might not escape this is Legislature Chairman George Fearon, who is up for re-election this November, but unlike his fellow legislators, may not be able to avoid giving clear answers. He might be called to testify under oath the week before voters in his Seventh Legislative District go to the polls.While no one would want the county and federal investigators to cut corners, it appears, as in the case with the sheriff's overtime investigation last year, that voters will not know anything definitive about how high up culpability goes prior to Election Day.

Compounding this, when one county legislator was recently asked why someone who had admitted guilt and was just waiting sentencing on federal charges was still on the county's payroll, his response was a confused look. Not confusion in that he didn't understand the question, but that he could not justify what seems to be the unjustifiable: keeping Chick on the county's payroll.

The response from some of the county's leadership is that we, the public, just don't understand the “due process” challenges that the county faces in dismissing someone. What most people don't understand is why such an employee, who clearly has admitted guilt, is still being paid by taxpayers. One can only hope that every incumbent who is up for re-election this year is asked to explain why this has occurred and if they disagree with the process, what they have publicly done to move the dismissal forward.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com