An invaluable New York history and genealogical resource is in grave danger. Kelly A. Farquhar, County Historian/RMO, Montgomery County Department of History and Archives, has circulated the following:
Subject: Re: URGENT -- County archives at risk!
Please forward this link and sign the petition!
http://www.petitions24.com/keep_historical_archives_assistant_position#form
As you all may be aware, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors will be voting on the 2011 budget on Tuesday, Dec. 14th. They have already voted on a tentative budget which would reduce the staffing at the Department of History & Archives from 2 Full-time and 2 Part-time to 1 full-time (County Historian/RMO) and 2 part-time (Historical Archives Assistant and Senior Clerk Typist).
Reportedly, many town supervisors are sponsoring various resolutions to further reduce costs which will be voted upon at the Dec. 14th meeting prior to passing the budget. This further reduction in costs call for the complete elimination of the Historical Archives Assistant position from the Department of History & Archives, leaving only the County Historian/RMO and a part-time Clerk Typist. A reduced staff will significantly impact the services currently offered by the department -- hours of operation will be reduced, accessibility to archival records will be reduced, research services will be reduced and/or eliminated.
The Historical Archives Assistant position is vital to the daily operations of this department handling the payroll, purchases and vouchers, research, accessions and acknowledgments of new materials, maintains & updates catalog of holdings, retrieval of historical records for patrons and most importantly assists patrons with department records and research.
We need your support! PLEASE contact your town supervisors, or any of them that you can, and URGE THEM to keep the Historical Archives position in the 2011 budget, if not full-time, then at least part-time.
County Board of Supervisors:
Vito Greco -- Supervisor, 1st Ward
Barbara Johnson -- Supervisor, 2nd Ward
Ron Barone -- Supervisor, 3rd Ward
Barbara Wheeler -- Supervisor, 4th Ward
Karl Baia -- Supervisor, 5th Ward
Tom DiMezza -- Supervisor, Town of Amsterdam
Herbert Allen -- Supervisor, Town of Canajoharie
Shayne Walters -- Supervisor, Town of Charleston
Bill Strevy -- Supervisor, Town of Florida
Larry Coddington -- Supervisor, Town of Glen
Tom Quackenbush -- Supervisor, Town of Minden
Greg Rajkowski -- Supervisor, Town of Mohawk
Brian Sweet -- Supervisor, Town of Palatine
John Thayer -- Supervisor, Town of Root
Dominick Stagliano -- Town of St. Johnsville
Again, the online petition is at http://www.petitions24.com/keep_historical_archives_assistant_position#form
