Priorities
Shine a Light by Bringing Transparency to County Government
As Comptroller, March Gallagher has brought new tools to help policy makers and the public access good information to make good decisions.
- Daylighted all Ulster County Contracts and Vendors for the first time ever through the Contract and Vendor Dashboard.
- Daylighted all Ulster County Payroll through the Ulster County Pay Dashboard revealing stunning amounts of overtime and pay differentials.
- Providing reports on sales tax, fiscal stress, and quarterly financial information on a regular basis.
- Issuing special reports on issues such as affordable housing, and the County’s first space report in 15 years on County owned and leased facilities.
Follow the Money by Auditing for Improvement
March Gallagher has lead the charge in auditing areas that matter saving and earning taxpayers millions of dollars.
- Two audits of the investment policy compliance found that Ulster County was not earning what it could be and was not diversified in investments. Changes to investments have resulted in over $10 million in additional revenues.
- Audits of operations can create more alignment and efficiency. For example, an audit of the call center found few calls being received. The Legislature sunset the operation saving taxpayers nearly half a million in budgeted expenditures.
- Audits of the CARES grants programs found grant funding was allocated to businesses that didn’t meet the criteria for low and moderate income entreprenuers.
Provide Stable Financial Oversight During Challenging Times
In 2023 Ulster County’s Commissioner of Finance resigned when his role in an embezzlement from a nonprofit came to light. March has been able to provide stable and effective financial leadership working with the new finance management team.
- Issued the first ever Federal Funds Impact Report to assist policy makers and the public in gauging what Trump Administration federal cutbacks could mean.
- Daylighted financial policies for the first time.
- Gained access to dozens of computer systems allowing the Comptroller’s Office to track assets, vehicles and task projects of other departments for the first time ever.
- Assisted the NYS Office of State Comptroller during their investigation of County finances after the shake up. The investigation found no evidence of theft or fraud during Gallagher’s oversight tenure.