Toni Roser, who has served as the top official of Ulster County and Kingston transportation systems for three decades, will retire from her latest position as director of Ulster County Area Transit amid an investigation into employee time theft, officials said Friday.

Her retirement will be effective at the end of October, with Deputy Director Kevin Fournier serving as interim director until a permanent appointment can be found, Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger’s office said Friday, Oc. 9.

His salary will be $116,636 yearly.

Ulster County Comptroller March Gallagher said in an interview and a posting on social media that her office’s investigation into alleged time theft in the department, which started in August, will continue despite Roser’s retirement.

Asked if the investigation focused on Roser, Gallagher declined to answer directly, saying the issue of time theft was “still a matter of investigation.”

“We have allegations of time theft and that management was involved,” Gallagher said.

She also said: “I’m relieved there’s going to be new direction and leadership at UCAT.”

“I don’t know whether her retirement was planned or sped up as a result of our investigation,” Gallagher said.

County officials responded Friday to Gallagher’s comments.

“We absolutely expect the Comptroller to continue her investigation because that has nothing to do with the director of UCAT’s retirement,” said Dawn Spader, director of Ulster County Personnel Department. “Her retirement will also not impact the investigation. UCAT has been completely cooperative at all stages in this investigation.”

Assistant Deputy County Executive Amberly Jane Campbell said cooperation will continue.

“We began providing the Comptroller with the initial camera footage she requested,” Campbell said in an email. “The Comptroller then requested the data in a different format and then amended that request to include a total of tens of thousands of hours of footage from the UCAT cameras that, due to the sheer size of the data, has taken an additional amount of time to make available.”

Roser began her public transit career in 2004 as transportation supervisor for Kingston Citibus, where she managed a staff of 15, oversaw route design and changes, and played a key role in the eventual consolidation of Kingston Citibus and UCAT in 2019.

After the merger, Roser joined UCAT as assistant transportation coordinator and was promoted to deputy director of public transportation in 2019. She twice served as interim director — in 2021 and again in 2022 — before being appointed director in 2023.

During her tenure, Roser has “helped modernize the County’s transportation system, including continued progress in electrifying the fleet, and partnered with the Ulster County Transportation Council and Planning Department to develop a Route Optimization Plan that will expand service by 30% when all recommendations are implemented,” a news release said.

Roser, as interim director, also oversaw the transition of UCAT to a fare-free service in October 2022.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve Ulster County and the residents of our community through my work with Ulster County Area Transit,” Roser said in a statement. “I am grateful for the opportunity to lead UCAT and to work alongside so many dedicated employees, county officials, community partners, and members of the public. I am especially proud of the commitment and dedication of the UCAT team and the important service they provide every day. I will always be proud of my time with Ulster County and of the work we accomplished together.”

Metzger praised Roser’s work.

“Toni has been a steady, dedicated leader whose service to UCAT and to the people of Ulster County is evident in everything she does,” Metzger said in a statement. “She guided the department through periods of transition, strengthened its workforce, and helped modernize operations to better serve riders”

“Toni’s deep knowledge of transit, her collaborative spirit, and her genuine care for her team and the community have made a lasting impact. We thank her for her service and wish her the very best in her retirement,” Metzger said.

Ulster County Legislature Chairman Peter Criswell also lauded Roser’s time at the bus service helm.

“On behalf of the Ulster County Legislature, I thank Toni Roser for her years of service, from Kingston CitiBus to her leadership of UCAT, and wish her a happy retirement,” Criswell said in a statement. “We look forward to working with County Executive Metzger to ensure a smooth transition and reliable bus service our constituents can count on.”

In a Facebook post, Gallagher said the statements lacked any mention of her office’s ongoing investigation into UCAT employees.

“I am disappointed that the public comments by the County Executive and Legislative Leadership praising the UCAT Director upon her announced retirement do not acknowledge the ongoing UCAT time theft investigation by the Comptroller’s Office,” Gallagher said in a social media post. “We have not received all the materials needed to complete our work, including records under subpoena since August 25th.”

“The Director’s retirement does not conclude the investigation,” Gallagher said. “On behalf of taxpayers we will continue to pursue the outstanding records and report our findings based on the evidence.”

In August, Metzger said that it was “unacceptable” for Gallagher to secretly record Ulster County Area Transit employees without their consent after a camera owned by the comptroller was found hidden in bushes in front of the bus offices.

The Comptroller’s Office, however, defended the covert recording as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged time theft among UCAT employees.

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