Despite a countywide hiring freeze, members of the Dutchess County Legislature voted on Feb. 11 to appoint a new clerk and a deputy clerk. Some contend that the move will save the county money.
“It is true that by replacing the staff, they would come in at the first quartile, and over time would be saving $50,000,” said Majority Leader Sandra Goldberg (D-Wappinger).
In a memo to county legislators Monday, Budget Director Valerie Sommerville has this to say: “There have been comments by legislators over recent weeks regarding the payroll costs for the legislature’s staff. Those comments have claimed there would be a lower cost or cost savings with a legislative staff change. This is incorrect.”
Instead, Sommerville explained that the five new payroll positions that were adopted by the legislature in the 2008 budget, which were not in the County Executive’s tentative budget, will end up costing taxpayers in the future.
“… there is not a staff savings of the $50,000 some have quoted, but in fact, a new added taxpayer expense of $250,000 – or an average taxpayer cost per new position of $50,000,” wrote Sommerville.
The new positions include four elections specialists – two for each party – and one deputy clerk for Republican County Clerk Brad Kendall’s office.
At the meeting, 13 Democrats voted “yes” to appointing Barbara Hugo of Rhinebeck as clerk and Jon Gautier, also of Rhinebeck, as deputy clerk. Eleven Republicans voted “no,” and condemned Democrats for making appointments during the freeze.
“I know you’re preceding with the assumption that these people will be put on staff,” said legislator Robert Weiss (R-East Fishkill) “but has anybody played the ‘what if’ game?”
Freeze in place
County Executive William Steinhaus called for the hiring freeze on Dec. 20, as a result of the projected state budget shortfall. Though it is unclear what affect the state budget will have locally, more than 100 county positions have been frozen, barring the Legislature, along with other departments, from hiring staff. Earlier this month Steinhaus agreed to relax the ban, allowing Sommerville’s office to begin filling positions on a case-by-case basis.
Last week four judges of the New York Appellate Division, 2nd Department, determined that as chief budgetary officer, Steinhaus can control both county spending and hiring, for vacant positions across all units of county government. The decision came in a case filed by Steinhaus by county comptroller Diane Jablonski last year, in which she challenged Steinhaus’ decision to keep certain county positions vacant to conserve payroll.
In a released statement concerning the victory, Steinhaus said, “All governments are challenged by changing economies and a fluid budget situation that requires the Executive to control expenses. I’m especially hopeful my friends in the county Legislature understand that it was and is the vacancy policy they adopted unanimously, and that it must be applied to the Legislature. They cannot expect to be exempt from the Charter as the Charter defines them as a unit of government as well.”
Neither the position of the clerk nor the deputy clerk are new; instead, Hugo will replace Patricia Hohmann, while Gautier will replace Carolyn Morris.
Both staffers began work Wednesday, but as of press time it was unclear whether Hugo and Gautier will be paid for their work.