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JOHNSTOWN — Starting afresh was a central theme Tuesday night in Mayor Amy Praught’s State of City address.
The 53-year-old politician entered office less than a year after the state Comptroller’s office released a scathing report, which showed that former treasurer Mike Gifford for three years didn’t file mandatory annual fiscal records, and at one point, relied on an internet technology company for support services in lieu of any written contract.
“The lack of work and outright destruction done in the treasurer’s office is incomprehensible due to the actions of the last administration,” said Praught. “My administration has focused on accountability and transparency when it comes to taxpayer money.”
Past partner ATEC made $92,309 from the informal deal between 2019 and 2020 OSC at the time called out the administration for not safeguarding sensitive municipal data.
Praught highlighted a new $1,650 per month IT contract with PNJ formalized during the first year of her administration. The move is expected to result in savings of $50,000.
“Most notably, we are now in compliance with the state,” Praught said. ‘This is another example of how past administrations have ineffectively managed their processes and have given employees too much to oversee, or projects that are beyond their scope.”
Praught lauded the city’s new treasurer Tom Herr, who ran unopposed in 2021 after taking an interim capacity role in the 11th hour of Mayor Vern Jackson’s administration. Herr has been focused on making up for lost annual update documents (AUDs) in order for the city to buoy its credit rating.
After 18 months blocked without access, administration officials hope to start bonding again come springtime. Praught assured that the city has still taken on as-needed projects, ranging from utility truck upgrades to new cameras in city parks.
“This has certainly been one of the biggest challenges for the city in the past five years,” Praught said. “However, even with all these challenges the city of Johnstown is financially solvent.”
The mayor also celebrated the dissolution of the Water Board by city referendum in November — the end of a long-fought battle for full control of the city’s water department. The first of three attempts to end the board in 2015 failed at the polls, 817-583.
Officials in the new administration, Praught said, have brought “immediate synergies, increased productivity through central decision making and most importantly, [created] a more cohesive team atmosphere” in the newly restructured department.
She highlighted a number of new faces gracing her administration, including human resources manager Sue Conine, labor attorney Jay Girvin and City Attorney Mike Albanese, replacing now-Fulton County District Attorney Mike Poulin, elected in November. Four new paramedics were also put on the municipal roster following talks with fire union officials.
Outside of internal business, Praught boasted efforts to help businesses through the $170,000 Johnstown loan fund, which is overseen by the Fulton County Center for Regional Growth.
The self-described “tough on blight” politician still hopes to attract new industry partners, bolster competition, expand intermunicipal agreements and grow green space as her term nears a halfway point.
“I want this city to look and feel like a beautiful Norman Rockwell painting,” Praught said. “Yes, I realize that I cannot necessarily make this happen. However, I will work as hard as I possibly can with code enforcement and DPW to keep this city as well-kept as possible.”
Tyler A. McNeil can be reached at 518-395-3047 or [email protected] Follow him on Facebook at Tyler A. McNeil, Daily Gazette or Twitter @TylerAMcNeil.
