BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG – Angela Gray has been designated as the city comptroller, but will not be a city employee.

City Manager Stephen Jellie said the process will be the same as with the city attorney, where the services are contracted.

Jellie said he needed a designation by council so Gray will have authority to speak on the city's behalf as needed with state and local governments.

“It’s the same plan we agreed on in the budget. We did not fund the comptroller’s position,” he said. “We said all along that we were going to use this process at least through the year. Already we’ve seen the benefits of having an outside firm come in.”

Jellie said the city has discovered a lot of things that are being straightened out and getting the books in order.

“We’ll revisit at budget time to see whether we continue to outsource this function, just like we do the city attorney, or we move forward to hire a position,” he said.

Jellie said right now it’s in the city’s interest to “go this route.”

City Councilor Michael Powers sought clarification that the city would be retaining Gray through the end of the year.

Jellie said it was a designation, but clarified that it would not change anything in regard to the current operations of the plan.

Powers raised the concern that councilors wouldn’t be able to directly communicate with Gray, Jellie said they would be able to do so by communicating with him.

“So, I think everybody would be happy for me to have one less title,” Jellie said.

Mayor Jeffrey M. Skelly said it was a formality.

Councilor Daniel Skamperle said he’d prefer to see someone in the position that was at city hall and available to citizens.

Deputy Mayor John Rishe said the comptroller staff is available to the public for interactions.

The measure passed 4-2 with councilors Powers and Skamperle voting no. Councilor Nichole Kennedy was not present.