Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Greene County lawmakers approved the 2021 contract with Twin County Recovery Service February 17, after initial concern that the county would have to make up the difference caused by a proposed 20 percent state aid cut. There was also worry over a $19,000 increase in the contract and if services had been reduced due to the pandemic. “I see they’re raising their budget this year,” Republican Legislator Greg Davis said at the Health Services Committee meeting. “All I’ve heard on the news this whole year is that substance abuse users have been having problems because services have been cut, so why is the budget going up?” Greene County Director of Mental Health Jason Fredenberg said services have not been cut at this point. The increase was due to a cost-of-living adjustment, Fredenberg said, and it is awarded by the state for fringe increases. Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden said if the county does not get reimbursed the 20 percent from the state, it would not pay the full value of the contract each quarter. "If the 20 percent is going to be cut, we would not have paid that out to begin with," he said. “This is pass-through money,” Groden said. “If we don’t get it, we don’t pay it out.” The full Legislature later unanimously approved the contract. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.