County Contracts Have Been Made Transparent

KINGSTON – In accordance with her pledge to enhance transparency and accountability across County operations, Ulster County Comptroller March Gallagher has begun sharing all contracts and contract amendments that the Ulster County Comptroller’s Office approves on a monthly basis. Information provided includes the contract amount, date of approval, department, and summary of the purpose. “Ulster county taxpayers have a right to see the wheels of government turning. Timely sharing information about contracts and contract amendments will help people understand the work of county government. Contracts transparency can prevent conflicts of interest from arising and can build trust between the community and government.” As of June 30,2020,the Ulster County Comptroller’s Office has approved a total of 330 contracts:294 dollar-limited contracts ($30.1 million in spending contracts and $6.6 million in revenue contracts) with another 36 rate-based spending contracts.

During the COVID emergency the Comptroller’s Office identified three contracts that bypassed traditional procurement and approval processes including contracts with Accucare (public health nursing), Edible Independence (meal preparation), and Ellenville Regional Hospital (testing). The Comptroller’s Office continued to monitor these as well as all payments made under any contract with Ulster County. Chair of Ways & Means, Lynn Archer said, “I commend Comptroller Gallagher for prioritizing greater transparency. The Legislature shares fiduciary responsibility to approve many contracts for services and projects that are important to our residents and county –and the more information available to the legislature the better we can act in the public’s interest.” The Ulster County contracts list can be found through the Comptroller’s website at the Taxpayer Checkbook & Contracts button https://comptroller.ulstercountyny.gov/in a downloadable, searchable, and easily analyzable format.