By Tom Grace
The Otsego County Democratic Committee plans to announce its candidate for county treasurer Monday night, according to Sally Barlow, the committee's secretary.
Although she didn't say so, the candidate may be Daniel Crowell of Middlefield, according to one person knowledgeable of the situation.
The Democratic Committee meeting comes a day before nominating petitions for county offices can be signed, allowing candidates to be listed on the ballot.
Crowell, or whomever the Democrats endorse, will likely run against either Edward Keator, a former county accountant endorsed by the Republican Committee in April, or incumbent Republican Treasurer Myrna Thayne.
Thayne, who is in the fourth year of her first term as treasurer, has not ruled out running against her party's endorsed candidate in a Republican primary.
Barlow said the Democratic Committee and its officers do not want to announce their choice until after the 7 p.m. Monday meeting.
However, a source said Tuesday that Crowell, 34, tops the Democrats' list. The 1994 Cooperstown High School graduate is managing director for the Northeast of the Halden Group, a financial and software consulting firm based in Virginia.
According to the firm's website, ``The Halden Group specializes in enhancing and personalizing business-management software that helps companies become more efficient and profitable.''
When Crowell, a member of the Democratic state and county committees, was asked Tuesday whether he is running for treasurer, he said, ``I can neither confirm nor deny that.''
He does plan to be at Monday's meeting, he said.
Crowell said The Halden Group offers financial expertise to large organizations.
``We do financial analysis and financial-management information systems for enterprises,'' he said.
``We have clients all over the globe, but none right in the Cooperstown area,'' Crowell added. ``Most of the companies we serve have to have revenues of between $10 million and $200 million in order to apply for the type of systems we work with.''
The 2009 Otsego County budget, at about $111.6 million, falls within those numbers.
Crowell said he has been keeping abreast of Otsego County government and knows that for two years in a row, the county board has not approved its budget.
``The current treasurer obviously has had some issues with budgeting,'' he said.
The office of county treasurer and budget officer pays about $62,740 a year.
