As the Legislature contemplates changes to the Ulster County Ethics and Disclosure Law, the Comptroller’s Office has identified issues that the Legislature may wish to consider in the 2022 revisions.
- The Disclosure Law does should include the Boards of Directors of the Ulster County Economic Development Alliance and the Ulster County Housing Development Corporation as Ulster County officers required to make disclosures a per §44-6(A)(1). They should be required to make disclosures because they are making disposition of asset, purchasing and contractual decisions on behalf of the taxpayers of Ulster County.
- The disclosure form should be updated to make clear that committees to elect and defeat candidates and ballot initiatives must be disclosed and are included under section §44-6(A)((2)(B) which refers to NY Election Law §14-100. This should be stated explicitly.
- The Disclosure Law should require officers of unpaid board memberships such as nonprofit organizations to make disclosures. This means that officers of the county could serve on the board of a nonprofit that is in a contractual relationship with the county and no disclosure is required.