Only the Governor can appoint your county treasurer

By Julia Reischel
7/22/10 - 12:12 pm

So said a spokeswoman for Gov. David Paterson's office today, after Greene County appointed an interim treasurer at a meeting last night. According to Daily Mail reporter Susan Campriello, this is an abrupt turnaround for the Governor's Office, which said yesterday that it was fine for Greene County Legislature to go ahead and appoint an interim treasurer:

Governor’s Office spokeswoman Jessica Bassett said Wednesday evening that counsel believed the county could make the appointment; Thursday morning she said counsel had reconsidered whether state or local laws left the decision up to the County or the the Governor.

This has put Greene County in quite a bind, according to its attorney, Carol Stevens:

Stevens said she was unaware of a similar controversy over an appointment to fill a vacancy in an elected office and was not expecting a large dispute.

“I really wasn’t expecting the Governor to take an opposite position,” she said.