Category Archives: Interviews

Lawmakers “want to give as little funding as possible because they don’t have the control,” said Dustin M. Czarny, Democratic commissioner for the Onondaga County Board …”There needs to be a role for the state here to give some minimum funding,” https://www.newsday.com/news/health/coronavirus/elections-improvements-boards-of-election-1.50102221

“That’s where the State Board and State Legislature need to come in and standardize these things and fix some of these holes.”Czarny will push for changes … including combining the absentee process with the so-far-successful early voting process.

“It was out of left field. It was not talked about in any of our budget meetings,” said Democratic Commissioner Dustin Czarny. https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2020/12/09/boe-commissioners-react-to-vetoed-pay-cut

In response to news of the veto, Czarny said he was grateful for the support he received from community members and fellow Democrats. “While I am grateful for the outcome, the independence of boards of elections as well as free and fair elections should be a value we all hold,’’ Czarny said. https://www.syracuse.com/news/2020/12/exclusive-mcmahon-vetos-pay-cut-for-onondaga-county-election-commissioners.html

“Of course this all happened on Friday the 13th…The staff are heroes,” Czarny said. “To have to go through this after working 12-hour days is just a garnish on this year, which has just been incredibly hard.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/07/pandemic-covid-coronavirus-election-poll-workers

“No other county department heads’ salaries were touched, just ours, In fact, everybody else gets a raise. Not only to reduce the salary, but to take it into another class where it doesn’t get any standard of living increases, it seems targeted.” https://www.wrvo.org/politics-and-government/2020-12-07/onondaga-county-executive-vetoes-pay-cut-for-election-commissioners

Czarny said the ballots should be treated the same as those cast by people who show up at the polls for New York’s early voting period. Those ballots are scanned the same day. The votes become the first to be counted when the polls close on Election Day. https://www.syracuse.com/politics/2020/12/confusion-in-brindisi-tenney-house-race-exposes-new-yorks-election-dysfunction.html

No other department heads received salary cuts. In fact, they will get 1% raises under the budget approved today.“I cannot see into their hearts,’’ he said. “If this is meant to intimidate me in any way, or to intimidate Commissioner Sardo, I can tell you this — I’ll be doing my job exactly the same.”Continue reading “Onondaga County election commissioners get surprise pay cut from GOP legislators – Syracuse.com”

“It would be nice if they removed the objections,” Czarny said. “It would be a lot less work for us.” As far as the board of elections is concerned, those votes count, Czarny said.“That’s politics,” Czarny said. “Once they lose, they leave.” https://www.syracuse.com/politics/2020/12/voters-shocked-by-renna-republican-ballot-challenges-it-darn-well-better-count.html

On Monday, election staff counted more than 15,000 ballots, which is more than usual. Democratic Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny credited that to having fewer people in the rooms. https://www.wrvo.org/politics-and-government/2020-12-01/mannion-declares-victory-in-50th-state-senate-race-counting-resumes-in-onondaga-county