The lawsuit comes after the county told the paper it was canceling its contract as the paper of record because it didn’t like its coverage.
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IMPORTANT NOTES
DCDC will do our best to keep you on top of this very important developing story.
DCDC 2024 Recommendation delivered to DCBOS October 2023
The Delaware County Democratic Committee voted September 2023 to designate The Reporter as the Democratic Party’s Newspaper of Record starting in 2024. We sent that recommendation the Delaware County Board of Supervisors on October 2023.
To deny a Party’s recommendation would be a highly unusual break with tradition.
DCDC Resolution delivered to the DCBOS June 2023
RESOLUTION
DESIGNATION OF A SECOND PUBLICATION OF LOCAL LAWS AND NOTICES:
DEMOCRATIC PARTY
WHEREAS, both the Democratic Committee of Delaware County (DCDC) and the Delaware County Board of Supervisors (DCBOS) represent constituents county-wide, our Newspapers of Record should report on and distribute to as much of the county as possible.
WHEREAS, Delaware County has only two remaining local newspapers with county-wide reach: The Reporter, read mostly in the western side of the Delaware County, and The Mountain Eagle that is read mostly on the eastern side of the county.
WHEREAS, for well over a decade, the Delaware County Republican Committee (DCRC) consistently designated The Reporter as their County Newspaper of Record. Constituents knew it was the reliable place to find important public notices from the DCBOS.
WHEREAS, knowing this, DCDC has consistently designated another paper with coverage that at least approached county-wide. In the past several years that paper has been The Mountain Eagle. Therefore, county constituents have had two multi-town regional sources for these public notices and the DCDC seeks to maintain this broad coverage for public notices.
WHEREAS, the DCDC has consulted County Law §214 and understands that designating more than one newspaper of record is allowed.
WHEREAS, Newspaper of Record designation has traditionally been assigned in January of each year for the calendar year ahead and any changes to designations happen then. It came as a major surprise that the DCBOS had abruptly changed their Newspaper of Record designation from The Reporter to the Hancock Herald over a year ago, mid-year in March.
WHEREAS, the DCRC’s choice of the Hancock Herald, which covers only the town of Hancock, leaves a large sweep of the county drastically underserved.
WHEREAS, in an evaluation of both the printed and online versions of the three county newspapers in question the DCDC found that: In printed versions, The Reporter has the most extensive county-wide coverage of both civic meeting reports and legal notices, followed by The Mountain Eagle, followed distantly by The Hancock Herald that covers only Hancock. In online versions, The Reporter’s legal notices are readily available, The Mountain Eagle’s legal notices are available only to subscribers, and the Hancock Herald has no online access to legal notices.
WHEREAS, at its Business Meeting on Wednesday, April 19th, the DCDC voted unanimously to include The Reporter alongside our previously chosen newspaper, The Mountain Eagle, as our Newspapers of Record beginning immediately and continuing till the end of calendar year 2023.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that pursuant to County Law §214, The Reporter is included alongside the previously designated, Mountain Eagle, as the Delaware County Democratic Party’s designated Newspapers of Record to publish local laws and notices beginning immediately and continuing till the end of calendar year 2023.
Submitted to the Delaware County NY Board of Supervisors, on behalf of the Delaware County Democratic Committee, by Kathleen Hayek, Chair, on June 23, 2023.
NOTE: No action was taken by the DCBOS on this request.
Newspaper of Record History and Tradition
NEWSPAPER OF RECORD TRADITION is that the DCBOS designates at least two county level newspapers: one recommended by the Republican Party and one recommended by the Democratic Party. Parties make their recommendations every two years (after Party reorganization). DCBOS designation is made in January at the start of the year.
To deny a Party’s recommendation would be a highly unusual break with tradition.
Designation means all DCBOS legal notices will be published in the designated paper. This lets residents know where they can reliably find all legal notices. The DCBOS pays the designated newspaper a fee for publishing the notices. It is a contract.
That was the contract DCBOS cancelled a few months into 2022 and the source of the law suit. The Reporter was the Republican Party designated Newspaper of Record and had been for many years.
When the contract was cancelled, there was no notable public announcement of the change. Most county residents and businesses had no idea they were missing important legal notices. This may have had an effect on bid notices.