Opinion: Voters must separate fact from fiction on role of treasurer in Allegany County
The Allegany County Treasurer is an elected official who takes a sworn oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of New York. At the beginning of each term, they pledge to faithfully perform their duties as Treasurer.
FACT: The Treasurer has NO voting power on decisions by the state, federal, local government or any other appropriate standards that govern the operation of the Treasurer's office. The responsibilities of the Treasurer are defined by various laws. The County Treasurer must abide by these laws, rules and regulations as does every other Treasurer/CFO across the state.
FACT: The Treasurer does NOT have any voting authority regarding the approval of service contracts.
FACT: The County Treasurer has very little choice in a court ordered appointment as Administrator of an Estate.
FACT: The County Treasurer has no voting power on any policy, procedures, contracts, union contracts, raises or salaries, projects, payments of bills, borrowing, tax foreclosures, sales tax, budgets, etc. – the position holds NO voting power on any County Board decisions.
FACT: The Treasurer has NO voting power on the approval of the tax foreclosure process or the sale of county owned property of any kind.
FACT: While there are no real qualifications for the position of County Treasurer, this job would be a very difficult job for someone off the street with no experience in Governmental Accounting. It takes education with a concentration in accounting/finance/math and several years of institutional knowledge to comply with all the laws, regulations and policies to take care of the people's money.
FACT: The Treasurer has NO voting power on the approval of the county budget nor and authority to approve budget transfers within the annual budget.
FACT: The Treasurer has NO voting power in any Board decisions.
FACT: The County Treasurer has NO voting power in paying of the county bills.
FACT: The Treasurer has NO voting power or authority to set the rate of sales tax charged or decrease or increase that rate nor does she have the vote to share or not share sales tax revenue with municipalities.
FACT: The Treasurer has NO voting power or authority to set the county tax rate nor the County tax levy.
FACT: The Treasurer has NO authority over the town's assessor or the assessments of properties within Allegany County.
FACT: The Treasurer has NO voting power on collecting property taxes by partial payments.
More: Here are the Allegany County primary candidates on the ballot in June
More: Here are the Steuben County primary candidates on the ballot in June
FACT: Nine of the employees of the County Treasurer's office require a minimum of a high school diploma and are required to comply with civil service rules. There are Account Clerk Typists, Tax Specialist, Junior Accountant, Accountants, Sr. Accountant and a confidential secretary. The Deputy County Treasurer's position is a personal appointment of the Treasurer and serves at the pleasure of the Treasurer during the Treasurer's elected term of office.
The elected Treasurer is a full-time position that works side by side the staff in the office. The commitment is to get the job done whatever it takes and as Treasurer, I work regular hours, not only during the work week but weekends as well. Most often putting in 50-70 hours a week.
It is crucial to emphasize the importance of verifying facts before spreading them. Misinformation can easily lead to misunderstandings and misinformed opinions. Let's commit to seeking the truth and sharing only what is substantiated.
It does not make fiscal sense to choose a person that does not have a clear understanding of the position/role of the Treasurer.
— Terri Ross, of Angelica, has served six terms (24 years) as the Allegany County Treasurer. She is retiring at the end of 2025.
This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Opinion: What is treasurer's role in Allegany County? These are facts
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