ALBANY — The city is hiring someone to oversee all its information technology, a post that could become the third-highest-paying job in city government.

The newly created chief information technology office, approved Monday night by the Common Council, would be assigned to Mayor Jerry Jennings' office and assume control of IT operations currently scattered across city government without central oversight.

In his January State of the City speech, Jennings billed the creation of the job as part of larger effort to overhaul the city's technical capabilities and bring them in line with what city agencies want to accomplish — like a better, more comprehensive system for tracking code violations.

City Treasurer Kathy Sheehan, who oversees a small data processing office and also is in charge of the city's often clunky payroll system, has endorsed the move for several years.

The codes effort involves a partnership with the Center for Technology in Government and the College of Computing and Information at the University at Albany, which is aiding city officials in drafting a grant application for a joint codes-tracking system with Troy and Schenectady.

In a September audit, Chief City Auditor Leif Engstrom found that the codes department's outdated computer system was a roadblock to the division doing its job well.

The city said it also hopes the job will eliminate, or at least minimize, the use of outside IT contractors.

The new CIO's post would pay up to $115,000 annually, a salary that — if reached — would be the third-highest in city government behind Jennings' $135,000 pay and the $122,000 earned by the deputy mayor.

City officials, who said the range is likely to be between $95,000 and $115,000, have said they hope it will attract a skilled candidate in a competitive, well-paying field.

Sheehan and Engstrom, who are both independently elected officials, make $98,000 a year.

Because the new post is not technically a department head as defined under the city charter, it will not be subject to a residency requirement that forces new commissioners, like Police Chief Steven Krokoff, to live in the city.

But in approving the creation of the job, the council inserted its preference that whoever is hired live in the city or move into the city soon afterward.

jcarleo-evangelist@timesunion.com • 518-454-5445 • @JCEvangelist_TU