Finance committee approves home-buyer navigator, parks staffing increases and cancels unenforceable tax liens

The Albany County Audit and Finance Committee on May 29 approved a set of budget and program measures including an $80,000-per-year pilot to fund a home-buyer navigator position, amendments to the Department of Parks and Recreation to add four full-time positions, adoption of the county's five-year capital program and cancellation of multiple delinquent tax liens the county cannot enforce.

The approvals came alongside a separate procedural action to table a group of bond resolutions until the county finalizes retention of outside bond counsel.

The home-buyer navigator program will contract with the Affordable Housing Partnership for a one-year pilot funded from the County Innovation Fund at $80,000 for personnel costs; the pilot may be extended to three years if continued. Pat Curran of the executive's office told the committee the program aims to reduce common barriers for low- and moderate-income first-time buyers and that the Affordable Housing Partnership was the only respondent to the request for proposals.

Commissioner Bachary Genette presented the Parks and Recreation amendment, which authorizes four additional full-time positions. Genette said the changes are intended to expand programming as the department acquires new facilities and to align staff composition with the county's equity agenda. Genette told the committee the new positions will convert part-time staff or reallocate existing roles; she said civil-service hiring rules will apply.

The committee also approved requests to remove a set of delinquent property-tax charges the county…