With less than 10 days until early voting begins, the only official candidate in the special election for Saratoga Springs’ Public Works Commissioner has kicked off his campaign.
A suite of local Republican officials gathered on the bottom floor of The Saratoga City Tavern Thursday, marking what might be the final chapter of a monthslong political saga to seat a public works commissioner.
Chuck Marshall has served on the city’s planning board since 2021 and began leading it last year.
“My unique experience with 500 meetings, its planning board, zoning boards, town boards, city councils. As the director of real estate for Stewart's I travel across the state and into Vermont and I come back everyday realizing the treasure we have and the work we have to do to keep it. I have an undergraduate degree in civil engineering, and a masters degree in public administration. No other candidate that put their name for the appointment has those qualifications,"
Former Democratic Public Works Commissioner Jason Golub stepped down from his post for a governor-appointed role in August.
Two Democrats on the board wanted assurances a special election would be held, halting Republican Mayor John Safford’s plans to appoint an interim commissioner.
The council sent an election timeline to the county board of elections for a January 28th election. The Republican county elections commissioner initially refused to agree to the scheduled vote before approval from the attorney general or governor.
The council eventually agreed to appoint Hank Kuczynski to the role on an interim basis and seemingly called off the election.
Democrats failed to nominate any candidate by the deadline, arguing the timeline sent to the county was only a proposal.
After a suit from Marshall and the city Republican Committee chair Mike Brandi, a county judge ordered the election to proceed. Brandi spoke Thursday in support of Marshall’s candidacy.
“We held them accountable by going to court to ensure the election law was upheld, we secured the Jauary 28th special election date. Rules matter in a democracy, and they matter to Chuck Marshall. The respect for law and transparency is exactly what we need on the city council,” said Brandi.
Mayor Safford was also present in support of Marshall.
“This election shouldn't be about party politics, it should be about the best person for the job. Chuck Marshall is the best person for this job, there's no doubt in my mind that Chuck Marshall will be an accelerator of success and growth for Saratoga Springs and our community," said Safford.
Safford has said his backing Marshall won’t impede his ability to effectively run the city with the current council.
“When I ran for mayor in 2023, I made a promise to bring civility back to city hall. At the time the city was at the brink of collapse—Mayor Kim had lost the city's insurance, screaming matches were the norm, and I put my hat into the ring to bring change to Saratoga Springs and our beautiful city. I'm standing here today to tell you that I am 100 percent behind Chuck Marshall to fill Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Public Works position. What has occured over the past several weeks regarding this seat is just on par with the chaos in city hall before I was elected," said Safford.
Former Mayor Meg Kelly made a rare public appearance following a long-awaited Attorney Generals report that found city officials, including Kelly, and city police violated the civil rights of Black Lives Matter demonstrators in 2020 and 2021.
“Chuck has consistently demonstratred his ability to work across party lines, bringing people together and achieving common goals. This is critical to what we need in city hall right now. Chuck's level-headed decision making, collaborative nature and commitment to our community makes him an ideal choice for this position as Commissioner of Public Works," said Kelly.
Marshall, running with backing from the non-partisan One Saratoga group, said the political turmoil leading up to the election could be an unfortunate distraction, but it won’t stop him from working with the other councilors if elected.
“No, again, I think I have a, as so many have said, a calming voice and I just maintain the same course of action in everything that I do. One of the things I’ve said repeatedly is I’m on both sides of the dais. I’m an applicant and I have to adhere to the same standards that I hold people to when I sit on the planning board,” said Marshall.
While Kuczynski initially said he would only fill the seat until a special election could pick the next candidate, he announced he would be running a write-in campaign this week.
Early voting begins January 18th.
