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Albany County finance committee debates Board of Elections staffing swap, passes budget item unchanged
Summary
At its Nov. 12 meeting the Albany County Finance Committee debated a request to remove two part-time Board of Elections positions and add two full-time voting-technology specialists; staff said the swap was not budget-neutral. After discussion the committee voted to pass the BOE item without change.
The Albany County Finance Committee on Nov. 12 debated a Board of Elections staffing change before voting to pass the executive—s proposed budget item without amendment.
Committee members said a memo and BOE submission described removing two part-time positions in exchange for two full-time voting-technology specialist positions and that the total cost for the two specialists was roughly $165,000. A committee member summarized the concern: "We take 2 part time positions making less than $50,000part time and replace them with 2 full time positions making a 170,000," and added this would create an additional salary and fringe cost beyond the savings. That summary of the math was stated by budget staff Dave Riley in committee discussion.
Budget staff told the committee the swap as submitted was not budget-neutral and would add roughly $120,000 in salary plus retirement and fringe costs. Several members said they had received differing documentation: one commissioner said a detailed memo appended to the BOE submittal on Oct. 20 identified possible offsets, while staff and others said they had not received an equivalent budget-neutral proposal. "The legislature supervises the Board of Elections, not the County Executive. They're an independent agency," a committee member said in the discussion, noting institutional oversight responsibilities.
After extended discussion about whether the change had been presented as budget-neutral and whether commissioners had seen the same materials, the chair called for a motion to pass the BOE item without change. The motion (mover: Commisso; second: Joyce) passed on a voice vote; the committee recorded the outcome as approved without amendment. Several members who voted in favor said they would "go along with it" while urging better communication and follow-up to reconcile the documentation.
What happens next: the items approved by the committee, including the Board of Elections entry as presented, will be presented to the public for comment on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. in the Convoy Legislative Chambers, where members of the public and commissioners may raise further questions.
