After more than four months, the City of Troy is still without a comptroller, despite pledges that a new hire was imminent.
As 2025 budget negotiations near the end, City Council President Sue Steele says she is concerned over the lack of transparency in city finances. The Democrat says since the last comptroller left in July, the city has been flying blind.
"We need a comptroller. We cannot continue forward," Steele said. "We have not had reports for months. We're making financial decisions just by word of mouth with no actual proof and that's not the way to run a city."
Republican Mayor Carmella Mantello said in September that she expected to fill the position in early October. In an emailed statement to WAMC Thursday, Mantello said "We are in the process of interviewing comptroller candidates. Like many municipalities throughout the state and region, we are navigating a very tight market for professional services."
At an August meeting, the council approved an increase to the comptroller salary from $103,966 to between $125,000 and $150,000.
Steele contends Mantello is continuing to count on vacancies to balance the budget, but in the end, taxpayers lose out because there’s a limited workforce to deliver services they’re paying for.
Deputy Mayor Seamus Donnelly says the city is not overbudget, but some line items have a surplus and the rectifications are meant to ensure all funds are utilized.
"When you say overbudget, it sounds like that, you know, we're, overspending the budget where it's in these individual lines, it's cleaning up, but, and like the council president said, the easy way, I mean, it's, it's leveling out the field," Donnelly said.
Democratic Councilor Aaron Vera of District 4 says he hopes that the transfers enlighten the administration so it can better estimate funding needs in future budgets.
"I'm glad to see that we're correcting it now, but my understanding is that these should be corrected earlier in the year, before they are overspent," Vera said. "And again, you know, fire department overtime is probably the best example of that. And many of these line items have not been overspent. The individual item has not been overspent, but many of them have been."
Steele says it's not unusual to do transfers this time of year and calls it a "cleanup resolution," but adds vacancies are being used to cover misallocation.
Donnelly confirms that this is the typical way the administration has moved funding.
The council was scheduled to review changes to the $117 million budget proposal Thursday, but the mayor’s office didn’t offer any.
Steele says she is concerned the contingency fund is underfunded as union negotiations continue.
"They claim they don't want to tell us because they don't want to show their hand. I honestly don't know where else it would come from," Steele said. "I certainly don't want us to start drawing down on reserves that we might need in the future."
During the public comment period, Angelique Bywater, a Labor Relations Negotiator for CSEA Local 843, said the administration canceled negotiations scheduled for October.
"CSEA members work around the clock. 24/7, they are proud of the work they do to keep Troy running, and they're also proud of the community they live in. Many of these folks outside of work, are contributing to this community in meaningful ways, helping neighbors, working as coaches, volunteering in churches and nonprofits," Bywater said. "These city employees are parents, siblings, brothers, sisters, taxpayers and voters. An investment in the town's workforce pays dividends in the community. We want to get to the table, and we want a fair contract. So, when you are considering budget, we would like you to consider the wages of city of Troy employees."
In an emailed statement to WAMC, Republican councilor Ryan Brosnan of District 2, a IBEW union member, said:
"I wish to see a fair contract for all union negotiations. I am urging this administration to get to the table quickly in order to meet the needs of the workers that make our city cleaner and safer. Although there have been delays in getting to the table I am hopeful negotiations will end quickly with a fair contract in hand."
The budget is expected to be adopted by the Republican-majority council early next month.
