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from the North Greenbush Democratic Committee

Democratic Chair Calls for Appointment of Acting Town Clerk

North Greenbush Democratic Chairman Dan Ashley expressed concern today that the Town Clerks Office isbeing severely strained by the ongoing absence of Town Clerk Kathryn Connolly. The clerk has been unable to

work for the past FIVE weeks due to some elective surgery and there is no way of knowing if or when she will

return to work. Her absence has caused the office to be entirely closed for several days because vacations

were not scheduled to accommodate such a long absence. Further, she has given the town board no

indication of when she might return to work.

The services provided to the public in this office are not subject to discretionary staffing, stated Ashley. The

office must be opened to the public during regular business hours 5 days a week to ensure public access to

licensing services such as marriages, which are handled by the two clerks in separate salaried positions as

Registrars of Vital Statistics. As such, the only remaining employee, her deputy, is doing the work of 4 salaried

positions by filling in the town clerks second salaried position as the Registrar of Vital Statistics.

While we all sympathize with health issues, an office such as this must be adequately staffed and despite the

salary of this position having been elevated to full time status many years ago, there is no way to enforce a

absence or vacation policy for the position because it is an elective office. Given the seriousness of the towns

budget crisis, it might be appropriate to ask the town clerk to consider taking an unpaid leave of absence unti

she can return to her work and allow the town board to fill a temporary appointment of her choice to a

salaried position during her absence.

Ashley noted that Ms. Connolly claimed she was disabled at her endorsement interview held in June before

the Democratic Committee. At the time, questions arose as to why she was running if she was disabled as she

claimed. Now it appears that this disability is seriously affecting service at the Clerks Office and straining her

only deputy who will likely have to be paid overtime again to attend tonights town board meeting and take

minutes as required by law. Ashley noted that there is no overtime in the 2009 Clerks Budget for overtime

which will only add to the towns deficit.

Dan Ashley,

Chair, NGDC

News Contact Dan Ashley, Chairman @ 271-8744 August 13, 2009