UTICA - Wednesday night Sheriff Dan Middaugh was given a $20,000 raise from the Oneida County Board of Legislators.

Thursday, Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente vetoed the resolution, saying the raise would not be fair to the public.

In the letter sent to the County Board of Legislators, County Executive Anthony Picente says "I recognize the position of Oneida County Sheriff needs to be upgraded in terms of salary."

However, Picente feels now is not the time for that to happen.

Middaugh makes $67,674 to be Oneida County Sheriff, which is of course an elected position. Picente says he opposes the increasing of salaries of elected officials during their term of office.

Picente says when candidates seek elective office they know what their salary would be. The County Executive says the points raised for giving the sheriff a raise are all valid, but the action taken by the board was the wrong way to do it.

Despite todays veto, Sheriff Middaugh says he will continue his work as Oneida County Sheriff.

"I'm certainly not going to give my job up," Middaugh said. "I'll just go on. Again, I think I have justified, and I would be happy to justify to any tax payer that would like to talk personally with me regarding the office, and the responsibility and the duties of the office."

The clerk of the board - Susan Crabtree - says the veto means the same resolution, for a $20,000 raise, will now go back to the Board of Legislators at their next meeting.

At that point the resolution will need a two thirds "yes" vote to override the the veto, and for middaugh to get his raise.

According to the clerk this is the first executive veto she has seen in her 20 plus years serving the board.

The next scheduled full board meeting is April 16.