The Bethlehem Town Board has set a public hearing on a proposal to abolish the position of highway superintendent.
The change proposed by Town Supervisor John Clarkson would abolish the elected position and place the duties of the office with the commissioner of public works. Clarkson announced the proposal during this year’s State of the Town, shortly after hearing Highway Superintendent Gregg Sagendorph plans on retiring after holding the position for 22 years.
Similar proposals have been made three times in the past, with no changes made. Clarkson said nothing ever came of past efforts because of the respect town officials have for Sagendorph’s work and now, with the longtime official taking his leave, the time may be right.
“It’s hard to talk about changing the status of a position when the incumbent is someone you very much like, respect and want to keep around,” said Clarkson at a Town Board meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 13.
Clarkson said while Sagendorph has always worked well with the board during budget seasons, an elected official does not have to take the recommendations or heed the requests of board members as long as he or she stays within budget. The supervisor said department heads who are appointed or are civil servants ultimately must answer to the board.
If the Town Board adopted the change, the public would still need to approve through a permissive referendum. The town’s Governance Committee found 59 other towns in New York, mostly larger suburbs, no longer elect their highway superintendents.
Savings would likely be realized if a consolidation was approved, but Clarkson said he needs more time to provide an estimate.
“I think no one should support this referendum unless they think it is a good idea in any event,” said Clarkson. “I think the savings should be on top of that.”
Councilman Bill Reinhardt said the change is also an opportunity to find further efficiencies within the town’s government, such as saving on overtime, energy and fleet consolidation.
Councilman Kyle Kotary said although he did not support similar proposals in the past and favors giving residents a choice through public elections, he wanted to “reserve the right to change his mind on the issue.” He wanted to further investigate the potential savings and hear more from the public.
“I hope everyone in the audience and around town will take this opportunity seriously and think about the best way for the town to provide services in the future, not just looking back. I think that’s important,” he said. “It worked well in the past, but I think we need to ask ourselves, will the current structure work for us in the future financially?”
Some residents at the meeting were skeptical since the issue has already been discussed so many times in the past. In 2011, a set of government reform proposals that included making the positions of highway superintendent, town clerk and receiver of taxes appointed rather than elected failed to gain traction with the public. Clarkson was a key member of the committee that drafted the recommendations.
Resident Robert Jasinski said although money could be saved, he was doubtful of how much, and said the change would give even more power to future Town Board members.
Bethlehem Republican Committee Chairman Fred DiMaggio said it is up to the Board to prove to voters savings and efficiencies will outweigh the loss of their right to choose who serves the town.
“It’s important to understand the magnitude of the proposed change,” he said. “The combined budgets of the Highway Department and the Department of Public Works account for over 50 percent of the town’s 2013 budget of $37.9 million and approximately half of the town’s workforce of 120 employees. This is no small matter.”
David Liebschutz, who was chairman of the town’s Governance Options Study Committee last year, said the committee found evidence in its research that money could be saved and said there is the potential for a higher level of service. He said a discussion about the matter is worth having.
The board set a public hearing date of Wednesday, Feb. 27. The board could vote on the issue that night or wait until a later meeting. The goal, board members said, would be to aim for a permissive referendum in March, so as not to cause confusion and still allow political parties time to vet candidates should the proposal be voted down by the public.
To learn more, visit the town’s online resource page on the subject by clicking here.