Ways and Means Committee approves routine minutes, audits, bridge capital projects, grants and multiple personnel fills

Allegany County’s Ways and Means Committee on April 9 approved a package of routine administrative and budget actions, including minutes and audit approvals, acceptance of an insurance payment, creation and filling of several county positions, multiple bridge capital project resolutions, and authorization or acceptance of several grant-related items.

The committee approved the minutes from March 19 and March 26 and accepted the distributed audits by voice votes. The clerk of the board presented a resolution accepting an insurance check for $550 from Nymir to cover replacement of a rear window on a 2020 Ford Escape assigned to the Social Services Department; Root moved the resolution and Chemical seconded, and the committee carried the motion.

Public Works requests that the committee approved included permission to create and fill one full-time accountant position (unit grade 7, step 4) as a title change from junior accountant and elimination of the fiscal manager title; committee discussion clarified that the elimination and creation result in positions of equal value and that promotions would follow to backfill slots. The committee also approved filling one full-time janitor position (grade 9, step 7) and the abolishment of one cleaner position (resolution number 139-25) as requested by the Department of Public Works.

County Superintendent of Public Works Thomas Windus presented four separate resolutions establishing 2025 capital projects and requesting budget modifications for town–county bridge work: Bishopville Extension (LB 04-30 in the town of Almond) and similar projects for Bull Street (LB 14-14 in the town of Cuba), a Wellsville County Bridge (LB 26-01 on County Route 30), and Almond County Bride (LC 02-60 on County Route 2). Each project was described as part of the town–county bridge program with a cost split of 15% town and 85% county; funding was noted as already approved in the 2025 budget under line H5120. Each of the four bridge capital project resolutions was moved, seconded, and carried by voice vote.

Public safety items included several grant-authority actions and personnel requests. District Attorney Ian Jones sought authorization to apply for a New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) 2025 Criminal Justice Discovery Reform grant in the amount of $128,765; the committee moved and carried the application authorization. Probation Director Scott Graniteer requested acceptance of a DCJS renewal grant for $5,835; the committee approved acceptance.

Sheriff Scott Cicero asked for authorization to apply for the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) critical infrastructure grant program for $50,000. Committee members asked whether the grant was new and whether a local match was required; Cicero and a staff member confirmed in discussion that the MOE attachment in the meeting materials identifies the program as a new grant and that the MOE states there is no local share. The committee authorized the sheriff to apply.

The committee approved multiple personnel fills in the Sheriff’s Office: one full-time corporal (annual salary $52,000–$64,000; benefits $22,000–$27,000), one full-time sergeant (annual salary $54,000–$67,000; benefits $23,000–$28,000), one full-time deputy sergeant (annual salary $56,000–$69,000; benefits $23,000–$28,000), and two full-time deputy sheriff positions (annual salary $51,000–$63,000; benefits $21,000–$26,000). Committee members noted these positions are required by New York State minimum staffing mandates at the jail; the presenter said the positions are 100% county-funded and included in the 2025 budget.

The county administrator requested permission to fill a seasonal recreational leader position (May 24–Sept. 2) paid at $21 per hour; the administrator said the position is funded 50% county and 50% state, and that the 2025 budget includes roughly $69,000 plus to cover personnel costs, citing $10,000 in state aid from New York State OCFS and $25,000 in a New York State SWIMS grant. The committee also approved filling 10 lifeguard positions for Rushford Lake’s summer program.

All motions described in this roundup were moved, seconded and carried by voice vote during the meeting; no recorded roll-call tallies were provided in the transcript.