ELIZABETHTOWN -- Interim Essex County Manager Daniel Palmer said he believes the county weights and measures inspector can also serve as the occupancy-tax compliance officer.

Wayne Taylor of Ticonderoga is the sealer, and Supervisor Robert C. Dedrick (R-Ticonderoga) suggested Taylor could also be the county's bed-tax investigations officer.

"This might be a real nice asset to the county to get this," Dedrick said.

Taylor said he'd consider the additional duties.

"I'd be curious to know the specifics. We could work out a plan to do inspections."

Some members of the County Board of Supervisors wanted more information, and no action has been taken to hire Taylor for the new post.

"His title is sealer of weights and measures," Supervisor Thomas Scozzafava (R-Moriah) said. "It's a statutory office. I have some real concerns about that. I'm sure Wayne would do a great job."

Palmer said four other county sealers have additional duties, and the law allows them to assume extra work.

"It's something that's probably possible."

Lake Placid-Essex County Visitors Bureau President James McKenna said he will discuss it with Taylor. The Visitors Bureau gets the bed-tax money to promote the county, but McKenna said recently he believes some places are failing to collect the tax.

It would be Taylor's new responsibility to investigate complaints and randomly check records of the county's lodging operators.

His salary increase would be paid from the county's 3-percent bed-tax proceeds.

lmckinstry@pressrepublican.com