NEWS FROM THE OFFICE OF

ULSTER COUNTY COMPTROLLER

ELLIOTT AUERBACH
ELLIOTT AUERBACH COUNTY COMPTROLLER 244 FAIR STREET KINGSTON, NEW YORK 12401 PHONE: 845: 340-3529 eaue@co.ulster,ny.us
www.co.ulster.ny.us/resources/comptroller

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TAXPAYER DOLLARS SPARED THROUGH COST SAVING MEASURES

PERSONAL VEHICLE MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENTS DROP $152,000

KINGSTON, NY (September 05, 2013) Since the Office of the Ulster County Comptroller called attention to the hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars being spent on mileage reimbursement expenses in a previous report, personal vehicle use to conduct County business has decreased dramatically, and along with it the huge costs related to mileage reimbursement. Comptroller Elliott Auerbachs follow-up report indicates that the cost saving measures emphasized in his initial 2010 analysis has led to greater efficiency and considerable savings. We are pleased to note that over a 5 year period, the total amount of reimbursable mileage costs have decreased an aggregate of $400,000, with 2012 showing a $152,000 reduction from the 2008 baseline, according to Auerbach. Utilization of vehicles from the county owned fleet, the cooperation of the Executives Office and every Department Head, and a conscientious effort of every employee to embrace other cost saving measures contributed greatly to the savings, the Comptroller said. The report did draw attention to the $13,000 for the reimbursement of commuting miles for County Legislators, which is a reimbursement unique to the Legislature. Generally, County employees are not compensated for commuting miles, according to the Countys Standard Operating Procedures (H.3-1.a). It was noted that NYS County Law allows legislators to be reimbursed commuting miles actually incurred, and the nominal pay of legislators, Auerbach noted, may justify compensation for such mileage. However, for the protection of both the county and the individual legislators, the report cautions that such reimbursement must be properly reported as taxable income, and recommends that the unique county policy be formally adopted by the full legislature. The report can be found at www.ulstercountyny.gov/comptroller.

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The mission of the Ulster County Comptrollers Office is to serve as an independent agency of the people and to protect the public interest by monitoring County government and to assess and report on the degree to which its operation is economical, efficient and its financial condition sound.