Chemung County Politics Open Chat

[KarenK 503]

33 minutes ago, Adam said:

may seem bit tin-foily, but with this appointment, and Mr. Sheen moving to another "position in County Government" i cannot help but feel this was all known back in November and voters have been Bamboozled?

So, is she still Treasurer too?

[MsKreed 1,573]

When I asked Strange, he said he believed an interim Treasurer would be appointed until an election in November.  Then he deleted the whole q/a from the FB replies. So not sure if that means there's some other plan in the works.

Extremely weird. 

[MsKreed 1,573]

16 hours ago, KarenK said:

So, is she still Treasurer too?

This is what one Legislator has stated:

[Chris 3,218]

Honestly, do we need a Deputy Executive or Deputy Treasurer? Does the city need a Mayor and a City Manager?

[Ann 439]

7 hours ago, Chris said:

Honestly, do we need a Deputy Executive or Deputy Treasurer? Does the city need a Mayor and a City Manager?

I think the purpose of a Deputy is to step in and do the work if the Executive or Treasurer are unable to fulfill the duties.  
As for the Mayor/City Manager not so sure.

Edited February 25, 2023 by Ann

[MsKreed 1,573]

23 hours ago, Chris said:

Honestly, do we need a Deputy Executive or Deputy Treasurer? Does the city need a Mayor and a City Manager?

 

17 hours ago, Ann said:

I think the purpose of a Deputy is to step in and do the work if the Executive or Treasurer are unable to fulfill the duties.  
As for the Mayor/City Manager not so sure.

I agree with the general purpose of a Deputy Exec or Treasurer. The very nature of needing to be prepared to “step in” should mean they can’t have too much heavy responsibility of their own. So, their job has considerably less responsibility than the elected official they serve under unless or until they are needed to take over the duties of their superior.

And that should be reflected in their salaries. 

For instance, on a federal level, the VP’s salary ($230k) is about 60% of the POTUS’s ($400k).....while at the county level the Deputy salary is almost as much as the elected Exec.

 Last month, the Exec’s salary was set at $152,864, and the recent resolution appoints the Deputy Exec at a salary of $140,208. 

 

I guess I sort of understand the point of Elmira having a Mayor and a City Manager.  It seems as if the Mayor is elected to be more of Chairman of the City Council than the Chief Administrator. I think there may be some merit in the idea that voters get to choose the Council leader as opposed to the County Chair.....who is elected by only one district, then selected by the Legislature itself.

And as far as I can tell (from THIS recent budget), the Mayor’s salary ($11k) compared to Council members ($7.7k) is similar proportionally to the Legislative Chair compared to other Legislators.

[Adam 528]

alright Questions: Im collecting Independent voter signatures but in reviewing the petition i have a quandry.

1. Do i select any name for the independent body making the nomination? in this example "Actual Governance Party"

2. What emblem do they want filled in?

I searched local and nys election law, and its essentially useless to answer this

Edited April 21, 2023 by Chris
Cropping

[MsKreed 1,573]

I'm not sure about the emblem part....maybe the initials AGP or some generic line drawing emoji type thing?

But I know the name is indeed pretty much whatever (non-copy righted) name or slogan you want to call yourself. 

Here are the Independent "party names" for Legislature last November:

Lawanna For Ag22

Middle Party

Freedom Party (6th Dist)

End Inequality

Common Sense

Greenhouse

We The People

New Vision

Blue Line

America

And these creative and inspired names.....

4th District United

9th District United

14th District United

15Th District United

 

[Adam 528]

waiting for reply, i think, if i only signed petition as witness, that i can carry the Independent petition without a witness doing it...makes it much easier

Edited May 2, 2023 by Adam
figured it out

[MsKreed 1,573]

11 hours ago, Adam said:

waiting for reply, i think, if i only signed petition as witness, that i can carry the Independent petition without a witness doing it...makes it much easier

When I called the local BOE, they had good clear answers for every question. 

And considering the confusing and constantly changing regulations the state throws at them, I can't believe how they can say so awesome and pleasant. 

[Adam 528]

1 hour ago, MsKreed said:

I can't believe how they can say so awesome and pleasant. 

every interaction ive had to date has been great

[Twin Tiers Living 492]

Here are the primaries in this years election:

[KarenK 503]

It shows a primary but not how many seats are actually vacant.  Erin as 2 4yr and an open 2yr to finish a term and none are contested.  There is no candidate at all to finish the 2yr.  They tried like hell to get me to write in for that.  Nope.

[Chris 3,218]

Can’t the board just appoint someone? That’s what they did in Baldwin when one council member quit.

( I was asked and got as far as a letter of interest for the position before I came to my senses. )

[KarenK 503]

5 minutes ago, Chris said:

Can’t the board just appoint someone? That’s what they did in Baldwin when one council member quit.

( I was asked and got as far as a letter of interest for the position before I came to my senses. )

Beats me.  I don't think anyone has expressed interest.

[MsKreed 1,573]

I believe they can only appoint for an unexpired term....then a vote is required at the next election. 

 

I believe in 2021, our Town Clerk seat had no one running......so whoever got the most "write-ins" won.  The Council has/had attempted for several years to pass a resolution making it an appointed position.....but that is a mandatory referendum, and voters kept rejecting it (even though the board had to keep making "temporary" appointments - LOL). 

Edited May 31, 2023 by MsKreed

[KarenK 503]

45 minutes ago, MsKreed said:

I believe they can only appoint for an unexpired term....then a vote is required at the next election. 

 

I believe in 2021, our Town Clerk seat had no one running......so whoever got the most "write-ins" won.  The Council has/had attempted for several years to pass a resolution making it an appointed position.....but that is a mandatory referendum, and voters kept rejecting it (even though the board had to keep making "temporary" appointments - LOL). 

IF no one wants the job, appointing people won't help since they can just decline.  They couldn't get anyone to express interest so they could appoint them.  Awful lot of folks with opinions but no one wants the job.

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see my name show up as a write in anyway.  I would decline it.

 

[MsKreed 1,573]

1 hour ago, KarenK said:

IF no one wants the job, appointing people won't help since they can just decline.  They couldn't get anyone to express interest so they could appoint them.  Awful lot of folks with opinions but no one wants the job.

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see my name show up as a write in anyway.  I would decline it.

Yeah....that's the Catch 22.  They can't conscript an unwilling individual. 

Appointing someone needs to be someone willing to accept the job.  Someone unwilling to run isn't likely going to accept appointment. 

[Adam 528]

interesting that in baldwin, the supervisor is actually two years not 4, council member is 4

 

[Chris 3,218]

6 hours ago, KarenK said:

IF no one wants the job, appointing people won't help since they can just decline.  They couldn't get anyone to express interest so they could appoint them. 

No, an individual would have to say, “Yeah I’ll do it” and then the board would vote to approve. I believe the only prerequisite is that the incoming has to be a member of the same party as the outgoing. But then again, small town politics are so frigged up who knows what someone could get away with.

[Rod 23]

Purvis is running for council here in Chemung now whats that the third thing he’s run for in as many elections

must need the insurance or something if this doent work maybe there a dog catcher job open somewere 

[Chris 3,218]

I see on Facebook an $11k raise for the county executive made it out of committee with a 3-2 vote. It will go before the entire legislature next week.

[Adam 528]

nothing personal against Mr. Moss but given the current circus that has been occurring with the IDA/Arena i dont any elected position in the County deserves an increase 

[MsKreed 1,573]

16 hours ago, Chris said:

I see on Facebook an $11k raise for the county executive made it out of committee with a 3-2 vote. It will go before the entire legislature next week.

Aside from the two members of the Budget Committee (McCarthy & Morse) who voted against it, Sweet and Smith (not on the Committee) expressed their intent to vote Nay.... It will be interesting to see where the final votes land. 

 

I've been trying to wrap my head around how we got to this point. During his campaign for the first term (2018), Moss ran (and won) on the promises of cutting Top salaries (including his own).

Restructured salaries of officials net Chemung County $91,100 in savings:

Quote

 

Chemung County Executive Christopher Moss has announced salary reductions for some high-level county officials — meaning a savings of $91,100. 

Two officials, Moss and Deputy Executive David Sheen, the former Southern town supervisor, will see their salaries shrink by 15 percent. Five other positions will see 10 percent reductions. One position, director of public information, will see a $16,339 increase in salary. 

The reductions come as no surprise and likely will not be the last cost-cutting measure implemented as the newly seated county executive looks to balance the county's budget. 

"As Chemung County's budget continues to increase incrementally each year, we need to find a way to slow the growth ... without affecting the services we're providing to the taxpayer," Moss told the Star-Gazette last month. "We need to reduce our full-time employee count as well as conduct a thorough review of single rate salaries, as the initial review indicates several should be reduced, as they are out of line with counties that share similar demographics." 

 

Since nothing in his 2018 "save the taxpayers money" campaign ever indicated it was only a temporary gesture.....I was hugely disappointed by 2021 when he gaslighted the public by suddenly whining about "wage compression" and wringing his hands over not having his salary "returned":

 

Quote

 

The county executive and the Legislature also disagreed on pay rate increases for some county employees — specifically in the executive branch. The Legislature's budget raised the county executive’s salary to $146,985, mirroring a 4% raise for many elected and management employees. County legislators also received a 4% pay bump, their first raise of the current term.

“I personally feel that it is fair to treat the county executive and Legislature the same when handing out raises, and 4% is a very fair raise,” said 14th District Legislator Michael Smith.

Moss said his budget plan sought to remedy issues of “wage compression,” in which there is a decreased difference in pay between county employees and supervisors. Moss made 22 wage adjustments to the salaries of county officials based on wage compression concerns. The increases ranged from 4% to 31.2%, with a 13% increase for the county executive to $159,954.

Moss noted that some elected and appointed officials took a 10% to 15% pay decrease in 2019 that saved the county around $244,000 over the ensuing three years. The Budget Committee approved 19 of the 22 recommendations, but not for the positions of county executive and deputy executive.

“The Legislature, for no articulated or legitimate basis, refusing to return half of the 15% taken from the position of the County Executive and Deputy Executive in 2019, does nothing but create an additional wage compression issue whereupon now three department heads will make more than the Deputy Executive, who is their immediate supervisor,” said Moss.

 

With that said.....

While I agree that Moss expecting (demanding?) to have his salary "realigned" to something closer to what he now thinks it should be (in contradiction to his campaign platform that got him elected)......I find the reasons that Legislator Smith expressed in the Budget Meeting (here) to be wildly arrogant, self-serving and inappropriate 

Quote

 

Generally, increases in salary were awarded because of performance. You had to produce. Contribution to the organization's success. And I would like to point out that there are some areas here where the County Executive has been less than cooperative with the legislature. And, in fact, has completely disregarded the wishes of the Legislature.

********

I find it very difficult to justify in my mind why this kind of work should be rewarded. To me increase in wages as a reward for good work. And I have to say that I don't see it.

 

I hope the Exec and Deputy wage increases both get voted down because it's fiscally irresponsible when few taxpayers are receiving raises of 4% followed by 7.5% within a few months. 

Or on principal because it's hypocritical for the Exec to renege on his campaign promise.

Or because there "wage compression" argument doesn't apply when other counties have Department heads earning more than administrators who oversee them.

However.....the Legislature should not be determining the salary of a co-equal elected branch based on their personal view of the "quality" of that official's work.  The Legislature is not elected to conduct evaluations of the Executive's job performance. 

[Adam 528]

the argument of "wage compression" in public service has long stuck in my craw. i think those that are elected BY the People, should not make more than those the position represents. further, "wage compression" is a firewall against life-long politicians.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            want to recruit excellent private-sector employees and encourage them to stay with a company; guard against wage compression. 

Want to ensure public office-holders never get too comfortable, compress the hell out of those wages i say.