This year, the office of the Ulster County Comptroller launched a new transparency tool called the Ulster County Vendor and Contract Dashboard. The Dashboard provides visibility into most active Ulster County contracts, the vendors with whom we work, and payments to those vendors. Going forward, the Dashboard will be updated periodically, and beginning in 2025 it will replace the Comptroller’s Taxpayer Checkbook, which has provided a view of County spending since its release in 2020.
In addition to the Vendor and Contract Dashboard, the public also has the Public Pay Dashboard, which tracks county employees and departments’ base pay, overtime pay, and other miscellaneous pay types.
“When I was elected County Comptroller, I committed to the people of Ulster County that I would shine a light and follow the money,” said County Comptroller March Gallagher. “Transparency into contracts and expenditures is paramount. I am so proud of the work our team has done to bring these thousands of contracts and tens of thousands of payments into public view.”
Here are six things you can do with the data:
1. Look Through $550M in Vendor and Non-Profit Payments
Since 2022, Ulster County Government has paid out $550M to over 2,400 vendors and non-profit organizations, with $181M coming in 2024 so far. Excluding school districts and local governments, this year’s top recipients include:
- Bette & Cring LLC – $5.9M
- Family of Woodstock Inc – $3.6M
- Harrison & Burrowes Bridge Constructors Inc – $3.4M
- Rt 28 Asphalt Material Supplies Inc – $2.9M
- The Reis Group – 2.9M
The Vendor and Contract Dashboard covers nearly all active contracts and payments from January 1, 2022, through October 31, 2024. In addition to sharing contract and payment data, the Dashboard provides a link to each contract and contract amendment in pdf form. This is the first time the public will have access to copies of Ulster County contracts within just a few clicks, eliminating the need to file time consuming Freedom of Information Law requests to obtain these public documents.
This is the first time that the public and county legislators have easy point and click access to specific Ulster County contracts. This information will enable taxpayers and policymakers to compare vendors to one another and to evaluate whether Ulster County is receiving the services for which it pays.
2. Learn what public employees earn
In 2023, Ulster County paid out $190M to 1,881 employees. The year’s top departments by pay are:
- Sheriff – $26.25M, 336 Employees
- Social Services Administration – $15.6M, 324 Employees
- Social Services – 15.5M, 309 Employees
- Jail – 9.1M, 181 Employees
- Public Works – 11.1M, 241 Employees
The Public Pay Dashboard data includes Ulster County employee’s base pay, overtime pay, and other miscellaneous pay types. The data can be viewed by employee, by title, or by department. The Public Pay Dashboard has been updated with 2023 data and will updated each spring to include the prior year’s pay information.
Many employees receive more than the budgeted pay for their position each year because of additional benefits or responsibilities. This new tool allows the public and elected officials to easily see where taxpayer dollars are going, giving taxpayers and policymakers more complete information about what public employees earn.
3. Read the fine print on contracts
The dashboard empowers you to peruse hundreds of contracts that are awarded to vendors and non-profits every year. You can see what services are being provided, what expectations are set, and how performance is being measured by different departments, with no FOIL request needed!
4. Ask better questions to officials and legislators
Historically, there has been a knowledge gap between officials, legislators and citizens.Officials and legislators are “in the know” and citizens are placed at an automatic disadvantage, having to cobble together second-hand information or anecdotes. With contracts and salaries at your fingertips, you can now provide more targeted feedback that can inspire better conversations and inquiries by legislators and officials.
5. Break down barriers between different data sets
One of the most exciting things about our new level of transparency is the ability of citizens, journalists and watchdog groups to mash the data up with other sources. The possibilities are endless.
6. Use data to hold government accountable
The Ulster County Comptroller has made transparency a cornerstone of her work since taking office in 2020. These dashboards enable the public to see the real amounts earned by public employees and vendors, greatly expanding the public’s view into County operations.
