Board to act on holding comptroller vote

TOWN OF ULSTER, N.Y. » The Town Board expects to vote next week on whether to seek voter approval this fall of creating the position of town comptroller.

The board is to meet by videoconference at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 4. Information about how to access the meeting will be posted online at bit.ly/town-ulster.

Town financial duties that would be carried out by the comptroller currently are handled by the town supervisor and a Town Board audit committee.

During a Feb. 18 public hearing on the matter, Regis Obijiski, spokesman for the group townofulstercitizens.org, lauded the work done by town Supervisor James Quigley and said it will be difficult to find an effective replacement.

“There are very few people as talented and energetic as Mr. Quigley who can skillfully and ethically manage the dual roles of CEO and CFO,” Obijiski said. “Both are distinct and demanding skill sets. The current broad expectations for our town supervisor, coupled with the position’s artificially low salary, may suit the current officeholder, but this combination is unappealing and unrealistic to future candidates for the position.”

Quigley was chief financial officer for Rothschild Realty Management LLC in New York City before being elected Ulster’s leader in 2009. He supports the creation of the comptroller position.

Quigley said previously that “over the last 12 years, I’ve demonstrated the benefits to the town of having an individual involved that has sophisticated financial knowledge, [but] I think it’s time that the town recognize that it’s not a small town anymore and that we move into the future . ...

“There is going to be a day when I’m not here,” the supervisor said. “Preparing for that eventuality by bringing someone in who has a financial background and giving me some time to work with them will work well for the town in the future.”

Creating the position of comptroller requires approval by the public because it would modify the powers of the Town Board.

Townofulstercitizens. org has recommended the town contract with a certified public accounting firm that is versed in government standards and able to avoid conflicts of interest.

“Typically, these CPA firms are armed with the latest software applications that meet financial reporting requirements,” Obijiski said. “They also have the backup people to ensure that the work gets done no matter what. They can create technical reports [for] the state comptroller and reports readable to ordinary citizens.”