CANTON — Town officials are working to address discrepancies in its guidelines for recording work hours across different types of municipal positions.
Town Supervisor Mary Ann Ashley and supervisor’s office secretary Susan M. Huntley have been evaluating how the town should set work day hours under the New York State and Local Retirement System service credit program. Service credits accumulate based on a set formula and contribute to retirement benefits for participating public employees.
Prior to Ms. Ashley’s term as supervisor, which began Jan. 1, 2018, the standard work day for elected town officials was recorded as seven hours. Currently, noncontract employees are expected to record 35 hours per work week, 7½ hours with a half-hour lunch each day; contracted highway department employees record 10 hours each day April through October, and eight hours the remainder of the year.
Two elected officials — highway superintendent and town clerk — are deemed full-time, but standard work days for the supervisor, deputy supervisor and council member positions have not been officially established for NYSLRS service credit.
Ms. Ashley recommended the elected positions other than highway superintendent and town clerk record a standard six-hour work day. Standard days for noncontract and highway employees would remain the same.
Council member James T. Smith said he would likely not be able to reach that standard.
“If somebody calls me to ask me a question, I’ll write that down,” Mr. Smith said, adding that he often finds himself in conversation about town work as an elected official. “But I would think six hours is really pushing it.”
Mr. Smith suggested the supervisor and deputy supervisor positions record longer standard work days, perhaps six and five hours, respectively, than the three council members, who may record fewer than three hours a day.
The supervisor and deputy supervisor, also a member of town council, he said, typically have more responsibilities that would merit a longer standard day.
Council member Timothy J. Danehy said it would be helpful to review recommendations from other towns or Canton’s policy committee. Ms. Ashley, who serves on the policy committee with Mr. Smith, said she will continue to work on options and update council members following a scheduled meeting with NYSLRS representatives next week.
September 13, 2020 at 04:42AM
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Canton mulls standard work day for town elected officials - NNY360
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