Tensions between Clifton Park town officials have spilled over into budget discussions.
The ongoing feud between Clifton Park Highway Superintendent Dahn Bull and members of the all-Republican Town Board has continued to play out into the 2024 budget season.
Bull, who has held the position since 2016, issued a press release condemning recent actions by Town Supervisor Philip Barrett, which resulted in an HR investigation of an employee of the highway department.
Bull called the investigation an inappropriate weaponization of private health records for Barrett’s own personal political gain.
Town Board member Chris O’Hara disagrees with that description.
“A favorite employee of the highway department was given a whole month of sick leave, in total contravention to Human Resources policy," said O'Hara. "So, he was he was paid for sick leave after he was intended to resign. And that's strictly against policy. And when we did the investigation, which the town board asked for, not Phil Barrett, but all of us, Mr. Bull refused to cooperate with anybody that had anything to do with the investigation.”
According to the report, Bull approved sick leave pay to an employee he was aware intended to quit, amounting to roughly $3,500 in benefits. Speaking with WAMC, Bull stands by the claims he made in his press release, dismissing the accusations levied by Barrett and others as politically-motivated.
“I cooperated throughout the entire the entire investigation I asked to meet and the HR representative would not meet with me it was I asked if they could come into my office, they wouldn't do that," explained Bull. "I asked if they could make accommodations for me, my employees, they couldn't do that. So, it's all pretty much a farce.”
A public budget hearing set for November 9th on the town’s proposed 2024 budget, including funding for the Highway Department, has returned some attention to the ongoing feud.
In an interview with WAMC, 10-term Republican Barrett reiterated his discontent with Bull’s management of the Highway Department’s funds.
“It is our expectation as it is every year, that when the town board allocates money for paving and infrastructure that it gets spent, spent efficiently and effectively, but spent each year," said Barrett. "And that is our expectation. That has not happened in recent years.”
Bull says the accusations are misleading.
“We have a budget every year, we do the best we can to work within those numbers." Bull continued, "My goal is to not overspend the budget. We have a very small rainy day fund. And I have to find ways to grow that rainy day fund. This year, with that rainy day fund, the town board was able to add an additional $300,000, to paving that had nothing to do with the general sound of the town that had to do with our practices here of saving money. And that, like I said, went to paving after all. So they if they want me to spend every penny, I can do that.”
Barrett contends Bull has failed to follow the town’s 284 Agreement — an agreement between the Town Board and the Highway Department as to what will get paved — something the supervisor says should result in Bull’s removal.
“If you deviate from the 284 Agreement, the highway superintendent is personally responsible for those expenses, and it could lead to removal from office," said Barrett. "So, again, we just keep adding to the list of blatant examples of misconduct. He disqualified himself from office long ago, with well documented, well publicized issues. And whether it's incompetence or misconduct, the list just continues to grow.”
Last winter, Bull was publicly criticized by some town officials for providing free salt and sand to Clifton Park residents without discussion with the rest of the town board.
Bull says he has been following the 284 Agreement as Barrett attempts to paint him as ineffective.
“I gave the information to the town board said hey, look, these are the roads that need to be paved. They were aware of the roads that were going to be paved," said Bull. "And then that's what I did. Sometimes we get to a road where, you know, we found, you know, found like, OK, look, this manhole is destroyed. We need to rebuild it. You know, this catch basin, the stormwater system is not in the shape we thought it was in why are we going to pave a good road on top of rot.”
Bull claims Barrett has made his job more difficult in the face of an election.
“He's also the one who he passed the resolution at the town board suspending paving for two months," Bull continued. "So, he directed me not to pave. It's a very bizarre act by a town board, especially in an election year. But I think he, he's wanting to find a way to interrupt the maintenance of our infrastructure for political reasons.”
The preliminary 2024 budget for the highway department is more than $7.1 million, which is roughly a 7.7% increase from 2023. Residents can review the preliminary plan on the town’s website, and can comment on the $21 million town budget proposal at the November 9th hearing.
