Just three weeks after losing an election for a sixth term as a county legislator, Gregg Pulver has been appointed to a different position in Dutchess County government. On Nov. 20, County Comptroller Robin Lois announced that she has accepted an appointment from New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to become deputy comptroller of local government and school accountability for the state. Her resignation will be effective at the end of the year.
On the same day, Dutchess County Executive William F. X. O’Neil announced his selection of Pulver to replace Lois, who has served as county comptroller since 2018. The appointment must be approved by the County Legislature at its Dec. 18 meeting. Since Pulver chairs the legislature until the end of the year, that approval is quite likely to be granted.
O’Neil was traveling this week and unavailable for comment. In a press release, he congratulated Lois on her new position and praised Pulver for his years of public service. “We are fortunate to have someone with a proven track record of conservative fiscal stewardship overseeing this vital role,” O’Neil wrote.
Pulver told the Herald that he and Lois have already had a useful discussion about his assuming her post, which has a salary of $115,854. “We had a great conversation,” he said. The two will sit down next week and begin the transition process, he added.
Pulver, a lifelong Pine Plains resident, also said that his experience is in governing and not accounting and admits that he will be reliant on the comptroller’s staff to keep track of the numbers. “I respect that staff and I respect what they do,” Pulver said. “It’s a great staff.” He hinted that changes were a possibility if some members of Lois’s staff leave to join her in Albany.
He also said he has had a good rapport with Lois and said his intention in taking the new position is “not to screw up what she has created” in the comptroller’s office.
According to the Dutchess County Charter, Pulver’s appointment will be for just one year. An election will be held next November to fill out the final year of Lois’s term. Pulver said he has not decided if he will run for the position at that time. In 2025, an election for a full four-year term will be held.