The Saratoga Springs public works commissioner is leaving office this month and questions remain about his replacement.
Jason Golub, a Democrat, won an election for the seat in November 2022 after being appointed interim commissioner earlier that year.
Now, he’s leaving his post to begin a dual role August 19th as the general counsel for and deputy commissioner of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
According to the city charter, when a vacancy occurs on the council someone can be appointed to the position until the end of year when a subsequent special election shall be held to pick a permanent replacement.
Former city Democratic Committee chair Sarah Burger received the committee's endorsement for the role.
“I mean a lot of this city’s issues are non-partisan issues. What we see on the national political scene are not things that are between us on the city council. Our job as commissioners in this form of government is two-fold—you wear two hats. You’re both a legislator as a member of the city council representing the city of Saratoga Springs, and you’re also a department head whose role is really managing and advocating for the needs of the department to the table,” said Burger.
Shortly after the announcement of Golub’s departure, Mayor John Safford, a Republican, said he would be accepting resumes from city residents who wanted to step up into the role.
Safford tells WAMC he’s received a handful of resumes.
“Right now, for us, we don't care if someone's a Democrat, a Republican, an independent, a nun. You know, all we're looking for is the most qualified person to do that job,” said Safford.
Safford says after collecting resumes, the selection process for the next Commissioner of Public Works remains unclear.
“We have to decide whether we want to form a committee to vet them, or, if as [Finance] Commissioner [Minita] Sanghvi has suggested that we as a council have like a special meeting and interview these people ourselves and then try to come to a consensus on at least one so I think it might be possible,” said Safford.
What comes after the role is immediately filled, Safford says, is another question as city hall seeks counsel from local election boards to see whether state election laws trump the city charter.
“Right now, it seems to me, based on my understanding, will be that whoever we appoint will hold that position until November 2025. That is where I think we're at. I think that the Democratic committee thinks differently, and I think we're trying to work that out right now, but as far as I'm thinking, we're going to appoint someone who will be there until the next election,” said Safford.
Burger says regardless of whether she is picked to fill the position, the decision should go to a special election.
"The drafters of our city charter obviously felt it important to include that language, it doesn’t say that there may be a special election, it says ‘there shall be.’ And when laws say ‘shall,’ they mean shall for a reason, that’s very intentional language. I think it's important that the voice of the voters in the city of Saratoga Springs be heard in a special election in a timely fashion to fill the vacancy that is created," said Burger.
The city’s Republican Committee has not formally endorsed or submitted any applicants for the position and chair Mike Brandi isn’t convinced a special election this November is the correct move.
“You know a traditional special election, the parties simply issue certificates of nomination and whoever the parties pick will get a chance to run. There’s no primaries or anything like that. So, I’d like to see a true election—allow people to petition, allow primaries to happen if primaries want to happen. You know, let the people be heard and let’s do this the right way. We’ve got a year and a half left on this term, I don’t think there’s any reason to rush it,” said Brandi.
The council moved to have Commissioner of Accounts Dillon Moran present the public works agenda at council meetings until the vacancy is filled.
