QUESTION
How has a 12% reduction in headcount due to budget cuts affected the Conflicts of Interest Board's operations, and has the budget been restored in the mayor's preliminary proposal?
0:23:05
·
72 sec
The reduction in staff due to budget cuts has placed additional burdens on the Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB), but there have been no complaints thus far, and Chair Milton Williams remains unaware of budget restoration in the mayor's preliminary proposal.
- The COIB's staff is diligent and capable of retrieving any necessary information or case studies for board evaluation.
- Despite being overburdened due to staff reductions, the COIB's employees have not voiced complaints.
- Chair Milton Williams indicates a desire for more staff to enhance the COIB's capability further.
- There is uncertainty whether the budget cuts impacting COIB's staff have been addressed in the mayor's preliminary budget proposal.
Adrienne E. Adams
0:23:05
In looking at your responses to prehearing questions, you informed us that budget cuts.
0:23:12
Had resulted in a 12% reduction in COVID's headcount, and this impacts how the agency does perform its work.
0:23:22
How has the headcount reduction impacted COI?
Milton Williams
0:23:25
Well, the the more staff that we have I mean, the staff works very hard.
0:23:30
It's very diligent, and we really as a board are blessed.
0:23:34
We have all the information in our in our disposal and carefully evaluated you know, case studies so that we really are a well informed.
0:23:43
And if there's something we don't we don't have that we feel we need, the staff is always willing to go back and get it.
0:23:50
Obviously, if we had more staff, we could do even more.
0:23:55
There's there's certain limitations and, you know, cutting the staff of COI is just without the cuts, the staff was already working very, very hard.
0:24:04
And so with the cuts, it it they might be a little bit overburdened, but I've heard no complaints so far.
Adrienne E. Adams
0:24:10
That's a good thing.
0:24:11
Has the budget been restored in the mayor's preliminary budget proposal?
0:24:15
No.
Milton Williams
0:24:15
I I'm I'm unaware.
0:24:17
Okay.
