The Tax Collector side of my job came to a close for the year earlier today when I reconciled Hurley's tax receipts with the county and dropped off the tax rolls.  This year the county used a new online reporting system, and we had few issues using the system and reconciling the accounts.   Kudos to the Deputy Clerks for their work.  It was all hands-on-deck for the first six weeks of the year, and that strategy kept us up-to-date. 

There were a few days when the checks just didn't jive with the report, and hours were spent rooting out the error, and rooted out it was.  There was so much going on at the beginning of the year, and then - all of a sudden -  one day in mid-February there was a lull around 2:30 pm. That was the first time where it seemed possible to make an outgoing call not related to taxes.  Congratulations to Deputy Clerks Cathy Hoppe and Stephanie Rice for their day-to-day input.  It was their first full tax season, too. We did it - and we did it well! 

 You're invited to join the Hurley Democratic Committee on Sunday June 15th. Drop by between Noon and 4 pm and get to know the endorsed candidates on the Primary Ballot. 
      Enjoy light Refreshments, Refreshing Conversations & Glitter Tattoos for Kids.  

     This is so sad. After I helped out the leader of my Bible Study group with some computer settings yesterday, she asked me about a letter apparently written and mailed by Cynthia Glass . It falsely claimed that as a member of the Ulster Co Democratic Committee, and representing the Hurley Democratic Committee (HDC), she was advocating for the UN-endorsed Democratic Primary Candidates in her letter. 
        T O T A L  L I E S !! to confuse voters. Perhaps the author doesn't think some candidates are good enough to get elected without lying to senior absentee, voters.  A Cynthia Glass even claimed to represent the HDC in an op-ed on HV1 pushing the un-endorsed candidates.
          C O M E  M E E T  the HDC ENDORSED  C A N D I D A T E S on Sunday, June 15th at the Town Park on Dug Hill Road. We'll be there from noon until 4 pm with refreshing discussions, refreshments and free glitter tattoos for the kids. 
          The HURLEY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE  Endorsed these candidates in the primary:

• DEB DOUGHERTY and GRIFF LIEWA for Town Board
• LYNNE  BAILEY for Town Clerk
• JOHN WIACEK for Highway Superintendent
• PETER HUMPRIES for Town Supervisor 

            .   .VOTE for TRUE BLUE!! 

To continue ".. the three most important issues facing the Town Clerk’s office and how would you address them?" 
     #3 Recordkeeping! It is a primary responsibility of the Town Clerk. Without good records and knowing where to find them, much time is wasted, and space is being used for documents that are no longer required. Sadly, there is a history of haphazard filing, no proper inventory, retention schedules are not used, and the placement of files remains inconsistent.
       I will address this by creating a File Plan and a Local Government Records Management Policy beginning in July. If re-elected, I will spearhead grant applications to complete an inventory of the Town’s records, and we can move forward with shredding documents no longer required, and digitizing eligible records for future accessibility. Completing this for the Town of Hurley will greatly enhance accessibility and transparency and ease research for zoning, planning and governance.
       To date, with the cooperation of the bookkeeper, electronic copies of all vouchers are now being saved to enable accessibility. Original vouchers are also kept and those records have been identified.  To facilitate the certification of Vital records – Marriage, Birth, Death – I extended Sub-Registrar status, so these files are now accessible by all Clerk staff and no burials would be delayed.  ​

To continue ".. the three most important issues facing the Town Clerk’s office and how would you address them?"   
     #2  Consistency and leadership:  There’s been little to no oversight at the Clerk’s office since 2022, and a series of personnel changes are just stabilizing now.  To provide consistency and leadership, I’ve kept on staff that started last May, provided oversight and much more timely responses to other officials and public inquiries.  This has produced regular monthly Clerk reports, informative Minutes of TB meetings, Certification of Documents and completion of Foil requests.
         Consistency is being built from the inside out by diligently following up on requests; addressing training gaps; and by researching best practices to develop, document and implement protocols. I streamlined the recording of tax payments; and by having full staff present for the first six weeks of the year, the Clerk’s office efficiently managed all payments while keeping up with other duties. We are on-track to deliver our tax rolls to the county before June 15th.