Otsego County Treasurer-elect Daniel Crowell of Middlefield said he is eager to get to work for the county.
Scheduled to take the oath of office at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Crowell is already planning to release a study of the county's finances from the last 10 years.
He'll be doing that Monday, his first full workday in his new job.
By analyzing the county's past and present financial condition, Crowell said he hopes to provide context for decisions.
``It's interesting to see where we are and how we got there,'' he said.
The county is coming off a tough year financially, with revenue from sales taxes and occupancy taxes coming in under budget. Board members have said they will watch spending closely in 2010.
Crowell said his mission is to provide representatives with as much financial data as they need to make sound decisions.
In November, Crowell, a Democrat, won a narrow victory against Republican candidate Edward Keator Jr. of West Oneonta.
On Friday, he will succeed Republican Myrna Thayne, who lost the Republican primary to Keator in September.
When he takes the oath of office from Otsego County Judge Brian Burns, Crowell may be the county's first Democratic treasurer.
``I did a little research and was not able to find another Democrat elected treasurer,'' he said Wednesday.
The county, where active Republican voters outnumber comparable Democrats, 13,727 to 10,684, does have another Democrat elected to county-wide office _ Coroner James Magee of Otego.
Thayne's immediate predecessor, Theodora Moore of Middlefield, a Republican, said she knew of no Democrat who'd been county treasurer.
Moore succeeded Republican James Higgins of Exeter, who succeeded Republican Bernice Jones of Oaksville, who succeeded Republican L. Dean Beach of Hartwick in 1951.
Two county representatives, Republican Sam Dubben of Middlefield and Democrat Richard Murphy of Oneonta, said they plan to join Crowell at his swearing-in ceremony and will take their oaths of office from Burns.
``It's Dan's day, but I think it's nice if we stand with him,'' said Dubben, whom many sources say is likely to be elected county board chairman Jan. 6.
Murphy said he was honored to be included.
Crowell said he invited all board members to join him, but because of the holiday season, several had plans.
Since his election victory, he has met with representatives and department heads, trying to learn as much as possible about the county, he said. He has contacted the state Comptroller's Office and financial experts in other counties with an eye toward getting ready for January.
Crowell has also met with some staff members of the treasurer's office and said he has been impressed by the personnel.
``I don't plan on making any staff changes,'' he said.
On Jan. 6, the county board will hold its first meeting of 2010, and one of the agenda items will be setting a salary for the treasurer for next year.
As of Wednesday, that figure was set at $62,741.
