By LINDA KELLETT

C-S-E News Staff

CANAJOHARIE — When you’re done marking the front of your election ballot on Tuesday, remember to turn it over and vote again.

That was the reminder that James Post, vice-chairman of the Montgomery County Charter Commission, issued to western Montgomery County residents gathered at the Canajoharie Town Hall Thursday night. They were present at an informal informational meeting to ask questions and learn more about the proposal to change Montgomery County’s form of government from a 15-member board of supervisors to a nine-member county legislature with an elected county executive.

A special proposition pertaining to the proposed adoption of the county charter will appear on the back of voter ballots on Tuesday.

This is the proposal that voters will be asked to vote “yes” or “no” on: Should Local Law No. 2 of 2012 of Montgomery County be approved? A local law to adopt a charter form of government pursuant to Article 24 of New York State Municipal Home Rule Law, effective Jan. 1, 2014.

In addition to Palatine Bridge resident Post, commission members Vincent Stark of Amsterdam and town of Palatine resident Orrie Eihacker, were also present on a voluntary basis to address questions about the charter proposal.

Highlights of that presentation follow:

• How does the proposed form of county government differ from what already exists?

Currently, the county has a 15-member board of supervisors. It’s made up of 10 supervisors, each of whom represents one of the county’s 10 towns. Additionally, five supervisors are elected to represent each of the city of Amsterdam’s five wards. All officials work part-time.

Each of the 15 supervisors has a weighted vote, with some officials (for instance, city supervisors or the supervisors of the towns of Amsterdam, Minden and Mohawk) having significantly more clout than others.

That becomes a problem when a few key individuals form a voting block.

Post said, “You already know where the issue or whatever is going to move because you can just start counting the numbers.”

Finally, because there’s no elected or appointed county executive, there is no official go-to person. Currently, the county’s 21 department heads have 15 different bosses.

If the proposed charter were to be approved by voters, the county would be divided into nine legislative districts made up of about 5,600 residents per district. Each legislator would have one non-weighted vote, which would level the playing field significantly.

Additionally an elected county executive, who would have line-item veto power that could be overridden, would work on a full-time basis as the budget officer and have oversight of the day-to-day operations of the county and its 170 employees. He/she would also represent the county’s interests in Albany.

As noted by Stark, “We’re introducing separation of powers into the mix.”

All major decisions would have to go through the county legislature.

The 10 town supervisors would continue to represent their constituents at the town level, but they would no longer have dual roles.

• How much would it cost?

Currently, the 10 town supervisors wear two hats and are paid to do two jobs. In addition to what they are paid for their town duties, each town and city supervisor is paid $10,000 per year by the county. That’s a total cost of $15,000 per year.

Although the part-time legislators’ salaries have not yet been determined (they would be set by the outgoing board of supervisors), there would be nine representatives instead of 15. Some of the money saved through the elimination of six positions could be applied to the salary of the full-time executive.

As proposed, the change could potentially be budget neutral. Even if it’s not, the additional expense associated with the salary/benefits of the county executive would be minimal in comparison to the county’s overall, $93 million budget, Post said.

• Why is the charter being presented for approval during this election cycle?

The charter proposal is being voted on in this election cycle because all of the county’s 15 supervisors are up for election next year (November 2013). If approved, the new form of government would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2014 with nine newly elected legislators.

• Who can serve?

With few exceptions, candidates seeking elective office have no formal job requirements. They just have to be of age and a citizen of the area that they wish to represent.

If the charter is approved, legislators could serve as many as four three-year terms. The county executive could serve three four-year terms.

It was noted that the charter does not provide for the recall of an ineffective county executive. “We trust the voters. That’s really what it boils down to,” said Stark.

To learn more about the charter proposal, go to www.montgomerycountycharter.com.