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Mechanicville to consider charter change in new year

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A map of Saratoga County, with the City of Mechanicville highlighted in red

The small Saratoga County City of Mechanicville will consider changing its system of government in 2022.

Incorporated as a city in 1915, Mechanicville has a unique commission-style form of government, where department heads also serve as the city’s legislative body.

Mechanicville and Saratoga Springs are the only two cities in the state that still use the system, a detail not lost on outgoing Republican Mayor Dennis Baker.

“There’s gotta be a reason that every other city and town and village in the state went away from this form of government and if you’ve lived it, you kind of know what that reason is and it’s time to change it. But I don’t want to be influencing people out there, I want them to look at whatever the committee presents them, and then make a decision off of that,” said Baker.

Baker has appointed a nine-member committee that will review the city charter. The committee has not yet met, but is expected to begin its work in the new year. The mayor said he wanted to avoid a politicized review process.

“I wanted to do it at the end of my term so that it didn’t appear I was trying to do it to extend my term or to be that person, because I really have no desire. But I do think that we need to look at it and change it,” said Baker.

Mechanicville Commissioner of Accounts Mark Seber will chair the review committee.

“First thing we did was we reached out to the Republican Party and the Democratic Party and the Conservative Party in the city and asked them to appoint a person to the committee,” said Seber. “We don’t want to make this partisan. We want to make it as open and a transparent as possible a process.”

Mechanicville has adopted some updates to its charter over the years, but has preserved its system of government. A change to the system itself, if recommended by the committee, would need to be approved in a referendum.

Seber described the commission style form government as five governments running simultaneously, a system that can present administrative challenges. With low salaries, Seber adds, the system does not welcome younger people or those already working full-time jobs.

“The way it’s structured, is the commissioners are administrative and legislative. So they have a responsibility of running various departments and if somebody has a job…a full-time job, it’s very difficult for them to participate in this form of government. And the other two positions, which is mine, I’m the Commissioner of Accounts, and the Commissioner of Public Works, they’re full-time positions and the pay…I’m not so sure you could support a family on that, let me just say that,” said Seber.

On January 1st, 2022, the part-time positions of Mayor, Commissioner of Finance, and Commissioner of Public Safety will pay $12,270. The full-time positions of Commissioner of Accounts and Commissioner of Public Works will pay $38,855 and $51,125, respectively.

Seber suggests a form of government with a strong mayor, city manager or administrator to focus on the day-to-day could allow for more people to get involved in local government.

“Much like a school board,” added Seber. “And I just think that would be better for the long-term health of the city, and it would just streamline the operation, I think, and make it more efficient.”

In order to be considered valid for the November election, according to state law, the language of a referendum must be submitted to the state at least three months before the election. With an August deadline, outgoing Mayor Baker acknowledged eight months is a relatively short timeframe for the review committee to ready a November ballot initiative, but he isn’t in a rush.

“It may be the November after, but I do think it’s something they really have to consider,” said Baker.

Lucas Willard is a reporter and host at WAMC Northeast Public Radio, which he joined in 2011.