Former county manager Wayne Allen has returned to his old stomping grounds in Montgomery County and, with only eight months to go before qualifying for public pension benefits, is seeking work there as a public servant.

At a recent meeting of the Education and Government Committee of Montgomery County's Board of Supervisors, Allen proposed that the county hire him to aggregate information and data that could save the county from imminent fiscal trouble. But supervisors say they are not keen on rehiring their former county administrator for a job they say their budget officer can do - without an addition to the county payroll.

“We knew what affect the state cuts are going to have on all county budgets,” said Edward Paton, Town of Mohawk Supervisor. “We didn't need him to come in and tell us.”

Allen worked for Montgomery County as administrator for about nine years, until 2002. He told former colleagues and newer members of the board that an end to stimulus funds in 2011 could lead to significant budget cuts at the federal, state and county levels. He told the committee he could work to gather data to better prepare the board of supervisors at budget time and identify programs that could provide a boost to the county.

“I think the departments we have right now are doing a pretty good job,” said Karl Baia, supervisor of Amsterdam's fifth ward. The tasks Allen described currently fall under the budget officer's responsibilities. Allen said he would be able to devote more time to financial matters than a stretched-thin budget officer.

Baia said he would not rule out the idea of hiring someone to more closely examine the county's finances, but would need to weigh the value of what information Allen could produce with how much his employment would cost the county.

Allen, 58, needs only eight months of employment before he is eligible for public pension benefits, which would allow him to retire before reaching age 62. But he said that if Montgomery County was interested in hiring him as a financial and program advisor, he would be interested in working part-time until he was 62 and would not seek a hefty salary.

“I'm just like everyone else out there, beating the pavement, looking for work,” Allen said. He has also applied for a job as director of a solid waste facility, he said.

Robert McMahon, chair of the Education and Government Committee, said he sees the benefit of Allen digging into finances, even in his own district, Canajoharie, where a major employer has recently relocated and left a vacant baby food manufacturing plant and many local residents unemployed.

“We have opportunities,” McMahon said. “And we also have challenges.”

Allen could possibly identify how to revitalize the area, McMahon said, but he will not revisit the issue of hiring Allen unless there is support from the committee.

“I haven't seen a ground swell of support for anyone to put anything forward to hire Mr. Allen,” said John Thayer, Town of Root Supervisor, who believes the county is operating sufficiently on its own. “It's not going to come from me.”

Staff writer Sarah Gantz can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or sarah.gantz@lee.net