Is Ulster County a join-aholic?
Ulster County Comptroller Elliott Auerbach issued the results of a “Measure 2 Manage” report that audited department membership dues and associations paid for by the taxpayers of Ulster County. In a memo forwarded to the county executive and the
chairman of the Legislature the comptroller noted that “Ulster County pays approximately $106,015. Of this amount $99,178 is not mandated and thus remain choices made by the county.”
Thirty-nine departments, agencies and offices responded to the questionnaire indicating that there were 107 various memberships of which only five were mandated as a result of laws, regulations or grant and program terms.
The largest of the five mandated expenses was by the Department of Social Services for $4,112 to the state”™s Public Welfare Association.
The largest non-mandated expense was for $19,611.57 from Residential Health Care (Golden Hill) to the state”™s Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.
Ulster County Tourism belonged to the most organizations and associations, 11, with the Ulster County Legislature spending the most ”“ more than $30,000 ”“ for six non-mandated memberships.
In the letter that accompanied his report Auerbach stated,
“Arguably, many of the memberships provide benefit. County leaders and staff may receive first-hand knowledge and collaboration from such memberships and are often provided with publications, journals and newsletters keeping them abreast of current events in their field of work.”
The comptroller recommended that “in these tough economic times it would seem the county would benefit from a modification to the current membership request form allowing the opportunity for closer discretion.”
The Measure 2 Manage series of reports are snapshots portraying the use of county resources, according to Auerbach, and are designed to help Ulster County departments and offices manage their resources.
The results of the report can be found at ulstercountyny.gov/comptroller.
