Alex Bay longtime clerk-treasurer replaced

ALEXANDRIA BAY — The village board has decided not to reappoint its longtime clerk-treasurer, Sharon L. Cullen, according to the mayor.

Mayor Danielle L. Jury said the Board of Trustees appointed Judy M. Cornick, Alexandria Bay, who had been Clayton’s clerk-treasurer for several years, as village treasurer at an “emergency meeting” Thursday.

Ms. Jury said Ms. Cullen did not resign but declined to elaborate on either why the village had to hold an emergency meeting to make the appointment or why Ms. Cullen, who had been with the village for 13 years, was replaced.

The village recently split the clerk and treasurer positions after a state audit found the village government failed to monitor its finances properly and should segregate the duties of the clerk-treasurer, among other deficiencies.

The auditors also found that the clerk-treasurer did not maintain “accurate and current” accounting records or provide monthly and annual financial reports and has not filed annual financial reports with the state comptroller in a timely manner since the 2006 fiscal year.

Mayor Jury said, however, the board’s decision to let Ms. Cullen go had nothing to do with the recent audit. She said it was a “personnel issue” that she is not allowed to discuss.

The village board has yet to determine its new treasurer’s salary, Ms. Jury said.

Also at Thursday’s meeting, the village board reappointed Molly B. Briere as deputy clerk.

The village normally makes these appointments at organizational meetings at the beginning of each year.