Clerk’s hours spark council dispute
Mantello objects to cutoff times for transactions
TROY, N.Y. >> City Council President Carmella Mantello has picked her first fight with the council’s new Democratic majority, and the subject is the hours of operation in the City Clerk’s Office.
At the council’s Thursday night meeting, members tabled a resolution presented by Mantello that would require employees in the clerk’s office to accept transactions during hours of operation she claims are established in the City Code. Mantello offered the resolution after learning that while the clerk’s office remains open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, as specified in the code, new City Clerk Mara Drogan has established a policy prohibiting new transactions after 4:15 p.m. or new marriage license applications after 3:30 p.m.
The portion of the City Code cited by Mantello, Section 2-11, addresses public access to city records and specifies that the city is required to provide such access from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.
“This is not about politics, but policy,” Mantello, now a member of the Republican minority after leading a GOP majority during her first two years as council president, said last week. “It sounds maybe like a minuscule issue, but changing public hours is a major issue. Who’s to say if it’s left up to the clerk, in two months [she’ll establish] spring and summer hours. [It] sets a dangerous precedent for other offices (treasurer, building permits, etc.) that are all open for public until 4:30 p.m.”
Council Democrats defended Drogan, however, saying the change was needed to help her address a staffing shortage in her office. They hope the change is only a temporary one, however,
and that, with adequate staffing, Drogan will be able to expand the clerk’s services.
“We’re hoping that eventually she’ll have the staff available to keep the office open for extended hours,” said council majority leader Anasha Cummings.
Mantello also objected to Drogan making the change without consulting with the council, pointing out that the clerk is a council appointee.
“We are the appointing authority, we oversee the clerk’s office,” she said. “If you’re going to make a change … that decision is ours. The department head doesn’t make that decision on their own.”
The six members in attendance voted unanimously to table the measure on a motion by Councilman TJ Kennedy, D-District 6, who said Mantello had put forth the resolution “prematurely” and without gathering all the facts. Mantello, however, said she took that step after approaching Cummings and being told the change would be discussed with the council.
While Mantello insisted the move was not politically motivated, even fellow Republican council member Mark McGrath was critical of her action.
“I really don’t want to get into this,” he said during debate. “It’s petty.”
Mantello was among those voting to table the measure, but she did not do so without offering a parting shot.
“We’re not in this for us; we’re in this for the public,” she said. “I guess the people’s business is not getting [marriage] licenses.”