Finance committee approves multiple budget amendments, grants and personnel changes; board records actions on elections, occupancy tax and sheriff vehicles

The Warren County Finance and Budget Committee approved a series of budget amendments, transfers and personnel changes on Feb. 24, moving money for road crack-seal, elections, sheriff vehicle purchases, grant carryovers and several human services and health programs.

Committee members took voice votes on items across the agenda. Several motions were moved and seconded by supervisors in attendance; the committee recorded the measures as carried by voice vote where noted in the transcript. The county administrator and department heads summarized the purpose of many adjustments before the committee voted.

Key approvals included an immediate transfer to cover crack-seal work on county roads, a $300,000 appropriation from the vehicle reserve to the sheriff's law enforcement equipment reserve to cover vehicle purchases, and a $60,000 appropriation for an unanticipated 2025 congressional special election. The committee also approved carrying over unused grant funds and receiving several new grants across health, human services and elections budgets.

The committee approved a five-year, $100,000-per-year allocation from the county occupancy-tax reserve to support capital costs administered through the Adirondack Civic Center Coalition; committee members noted title to the civic center facility remains with the City of Glens Falls. Supervisors recorded an abstention where a member indicated a potential conflict and left the room during that vote.

Personnel and administrative items approved included a request to appropriate $33,000 from the computer reserve fund for information-technology purchases, creation of a probation officer trainee position (effective Feb. 24, 2025) and a temporary part-time building maintenance mechanic role. The committee also approved a $1,400 transfer for county attorney advertising costs related to a larger tax-foreclosure filing this year.

The committee amended one membership-payment request to the Adirondack North Country Association, reducing the requested supplemental transfer from $2,000 to $1,000 and deferring any further increase to the 2026 budget cycle. A donation of $1,800 to Parks and Recreation from the Lewis Global Village Charitable Trust was accepted.

Votes at a glance

- Transfer: $50,000 from Country Club Road to county road crack-seal (motion moved and seconded; approved by voice vote).

- Contract amendment: National Business Equipment — add a device for the Treasurer and one-time $300 charge to move a device from County Clerk to print shop (moved by Supervisor Merlino; seconded by Supervisor Driscoll; approved by voice vote).

- Appropriation: $300,000 from vehicle reserve (A896) to sheriff law enforcement automotive equipment reserve (A3110) to fund vehicle purchases (moved by Supervisor Durace; seconded by Supervisor Mayday; approved by voice vote). Committee requested a detailed list of sheriff vehicles to be replaced and the purchases planned.

- Appropriation: $60,000 to Board of Elections for an unanticipated 2025 congressional special election (moved by Supervisor Justby; seconded by Supervisor Mayday; approved; funding to come from contingent account at committee recommendation).

- Occupancy-tax appropriation: $100,000 from occupancy-tax reserve to support Adirondack Civic Center Coalition capital costs (year 5 of 5-year term at $100,000/year). Title to facility confirmed to remain with City of Glens Falls; one supervisor left the room and indicated abstention prior to the vote (resolution introduced by Supervisor Merlino; approved by voice vote).

- Transfer: $3,028.88 from contingent account to planning contractual to mail a survey to 1,595 underserved/unserved households to gauge interest in a satellite-based internet program (moved by Supervisor Driscoll; seconded by Supervisor Mayday; approved by voice vote).

- Membership funding amendment: Increased membership payment for Adirondack North Country Association amended from a $2,000 transfer request to $1,000 (amendment offered on the floor; approved by voice vote; further increase deferred to 2026 budget discussions).

- Grants: Multiple health, human services and emergency-services grants and carryovers were accepted and budget amendments approved (details in committee file; approved by voice vote).

- Personnel and IT: Appropriate $33,000 from computer reserve for IT purchases; create probation officer trainee effective 02/24/2025; create temporary part-time building maintenance mechanic position (effective 02/24/2025); approved by voice vote.

- Other: $1,800 Parks & Recreation donation accepted; $1,400 transfer to county attorney advertising for expanded foreclosure publication costs approved.

Committee members and staff agreed that many measures were routine budget adjustments or grant receipts. Several items will be included in next year’s budget discussions, notably additional vehicle-reserve funding to address an older sheriff fleet.