The Sullivan County Legislature voted 5-4 to close the Sunset Lake Adult Care Center in Liberty during a public meeting on Thursday.

Legislators Brian McPhillips, Joseph Perrello, Nadia Rajsz, Nicholas Salomone Jr., and Amanda Ward voted in favor. Legislators Luis Alvarez, Terry Blosser-Bernardo, Matt McPhillips, and Catherine “Cat” Scott opposed the controversial move.

The county announced Aug. 19 that the Care Center at Sunset Lake, formerly known as the Sullivan County Adult Care Center, would close by the end of the year. County officials cited financial difficulties and the inability to transfer operations to Infinite Care, a consulting firm that had been involved with the facility.

At the time of the announcement, the facility had 93 long-term residents and 86 employees. The county said it would work with the state Department of Health and other nursing homes to find placements for residents and pledged that no resident would be left without a skilled-care option.

The vote came after more than 90 minutes of heated public comment, with more than 20 people addressing the legislators. Nearly every speaker urged the county to keep Sunset Lake open.

County legislators said they voted on the closure during a closed-door executive session on March 26. Civil rights attorney Michael Sussman said the county Legislature did not properly authorize the closure and failed to comply with requirements governing the transition of residents and employees.

Sussman, representing Sunset Lake residents, their families and facility staff, challenged the county’s decision to close the facility in court. On Sept. 24, the group secured a reprieve when a state Supreme Court judge ordered Sullivan County to pause the closure. The judge found that the county had failed to follow the law because the decision to close the facility had not been put to a public vote.

Despite the legislature’s vote, Sussman said he will respond on behalf of the plaintiffs by laying out the legal grounds for overturning the closure and arguing that it should not be allowed to move forward.