Saratoga Springs’ Public Works Commissioner will be leaving his post later this summer.
Jason Golub, a Democrat, won an election for the seat in November 2022 after being appointed interim commissioner earlier that year.
Golub announced during a city council pre-agenda meeting Monday that New York Governor Kathy Hochul selected him as the general counsel for and deputy commissioner of the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
“I've spoken to the state about staying in this role when also becoming a state commissioner and general counsel and it is not something that they allow. So, as I've spoken with all of you, we will need to find a replacement for me as DPW commissioner in about a month. Obviously, a hard decision for me, excited about the opportunity to work on corrections at the state level and work on the policy around what is our future vision for corrections for the state, but also miss the work I’ve done with DPW and with all of you,” said Golub.
Speaking with WAMC soon afterward, Golub said the new job helps him advance his career while still making a positive impact, easing the balancing act he currently has to perform as commissioner, attorney, and dad.
“It’s difficult for me because I love the work we’re doing at DPW I love working for the city but at some point they have to address the fact that, you know, I have two children. I can’t live off of $14,000, that’s not realistic. So, if they want folks like me to serve long-term there has to be an assessment of how we view these roles. And particularly for Public Works and Public Safety, I have a team 130 employees and multi-million dollar budget—it is not a part-time role. So, that’s not for me to decide but it is something that I think should be looked at long-term,” said Golub.
Saratoga Springs’ city council is made up of the mayor and department heads who serve in what is officially a part-time capacity.
First-term Republican Mayor John Safford says he's hopeful the city GOP and Democrats will work together to agree on an appointee.
"We're very sorry to have him leave. I've come to really like Jason, he's a good man. We've had a couple of--we don't necessarily see eye-to-eye on everything but he's been a really decent, good, honest person to work with, so I'm going to miss him," said Safford.
For the time being Golub says he doesn’t have anyone in mind to replace him, but:
“I hope that whoever decides they want to do this continues some of the projects that we’ve started, I think we have some really amazing things in the pipeline—whether it’s Grand Avenue, whether its Van Dam, whether it’s new parks, playgrounds. This team has really embraced that forward-looking vision for DPW and I would hope whoever comes in would continue that,” said Golub.
Golub’s time in office coincided with notable tensions in city hall that would spill out into the public council meetings. Local activists and residents disrupted meetings and city leaders often argued over one another.
Golub says he’d like to be remembered for his contributions both to his department and the civility of city hall.
“I like to find consensus around issues and not be divisive. And I would like to think I achieved that. As I said before, I think my predecessors did a great job running Public Works as it was viewed and that I think in my almost three years, my goal was to expand the view and become more customer friendly and leverage technology,” said Golub.
Golub begins his new role August 19th. According to the city charter, the council is responsible for appointing an interim commissioner ahead of a special election to fill the remainder of the term.
