A routine public hearing this week about Woodstock’s 2026 budget spiraled into a broader clash over power, pay and transparency, as board members questioned Supervisor Bill McKenna’s authority to put forth a resolution seeking to reclassify the town’s first deputy town clerk as town clerk.

Meghann Reimondo was appointed first deputy clerk on Aug. 19, effective Sept. 8, to train under then–Town Clerk Jackie Earley and Deputy Clerk Lynn Sehwerert, with the plan that she would eventually succeed Siewart. But when Earley announced her retirement on Oct. 14—effective Oct. 31, the same day Siewart retired—Reimondo was left to assume most of their responsibilities without title, pay or the designations of records access officer, tax collector and registrar of vital statistics. Reimondo, who plans to run for town clerk next year, noted that the position is an elected office traditionally chosen by voters rather than by board appointment.

“McKenna is suggesting the town board has the authority to reclassify the town clerk,” said board member Bennet Ratcliff. “She already has this authority. She doesn’t need the town board to tell her she does or doesn’t have this authority. State law provides her with the authority. McKenna is exacerbating the problem. The clerk is not run by the town board.”

Reimondo said she just wants to do her job and that the delay is hurting morale.

“There are other roles assigned to Jackie (Earley) as the FOIL officer and tax collector that I am not assigned to that I need to be,” she said. “That is not equal to a first deputy clerk appointment. Every time we come to the table, there is a different issue on this. I just want to do the job.”

McKenna’s proposal and the pushback

McKenna introduced a resolution that would have formalized Reimondo’s expanded authority and compensated her at the town clerk’s full $75,000 salary until the next election in 2026. The resolution cited Town Law sections 30(4) and 30(10), authorizing the first deputy to perform “all statutory, administrative and operational duties” of the clerk’s office—including registrar, FOIL and tax responsibilities—and to appoint deputy clerks with board approval.

McKenna said it’s only fair.

“Let’s pay her the rate that Jackie got paid,” he said at the meeting. “Why would we not pay a woman an appropriate wage?”

But town board members Ratcliff and Anula Courtis, the supervisor-elect, called McKenna’s proposal legally ambiguous and procedurally sloppy. They say the board lacks the authority to authorize Reimondo to take on those responsibilities.

“The first deputy does not need the authorization of the town board to conduct the roles and responsibilities,” Ratcliff said. “She already has all the protections and authorizations that she needs. What Bill is trying to do is put his thumb on the scale.”

Ratcliff said the board should pass a simpler resolution acknowledging the first deputy’s authority under state law while addressing her pay once her civil service classification is confirmed.

“We’re looking to do our due diligence,” Courtis said. “To make sure things are fine and appropriately pay Meghann as first deputy. If we need to backpay her, I will be the biggest advocate for it.”

Town board member Laura Ricci sided with McKenna during the meeting on Wednesday, saying the delay sends the wrong message to staff.

“It seems disrespectful to string Meghann and Michele along,” she said, referring to Deputy Clerk Michele Sehwerert. “They are our employees. We are the management team.”

The board ultimately tabled the matter. Courtis said she’ll consult with county civil service officials before bringing back a clarified proposal later this month.

A board divided

The debate over Reimondo’s role is the latest flashpoint in a widening rift on the board over McKenna’s management and spending practices.

Ratcliff accused McKenna of “manufacturing spending,” citing a $14,000 outlet and transfer switch purchased for a portable generator that, according to Ratcliff and Courtis, remains unused.

“I no longer have any trust in Bill McKenna,” Ratcliff said. “Some of these are being treated as emergencies when they’re not.”

McKenna did not return a request for comment.

Courtis and Ratcliff raised similar transparency concerns after discovering that two town maintenance employees have been living in a town-owned house on cemetery property. They said McKenna has ignored their attempts to obtain a signed lease, despite a 2018 board resolution authorizing rent of $700 per month.

“Most board members were surprised that people were living there,” Courtis said. “If they’re paying rent, show us the receipts.”

She said both issues underscore the need for audits, document sharing and greater accountability.

“That’s the million-dollar question: Why aren’t we that transparent?” Courtis said. “We should be using our tech to share documents and communicate better with the public.”

For now, Reimondo is performing most of the duties of town clerk without the title or salary—a situation that, she said, has grown increasingly untenable.

“If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t,” she said. “I’d just like this to be smoother than what is happening.”

Noah Eckstein is the editor-in-chief of The Overlook. Send correspondence to noah@theoverlooknews.com.