Spa City charter vote gets complicated

November measure would add at-large members to council

The city charter is back on the ballot in November. But this time, it comes with a complication.

First, there will be no question of changing the city’s historic commission form of government. It will be preserved regardless of outcome.

Second, there will be two referendum questions on the charter. And if the first one fails, the second one, no matter how residents vote, will fail too. Here’s how it will go down: The first question on the back of the ballot asks voters to adopt or reject proposed updates to the current charter. This includes changes including removing elected officials’ salaries from the charter, shifting duties from one department to the next (such as moving the recreation department from the Mayor’s Office to Public Works) and requiring consent of the entire council when making appointments to land-use boards and for some positions like the city attorney.

The second seeks approval to expand the council to seven members preserving its usual five (the mayor and four commissioners) and adding two atlarge members free of administrative responsibilities.

“The two additional at-large officials acknowledge that it can be difficult to be both a legislator and run a department,” said Vincent Deleonardis, the city attorney and chair of Mayor Meg Kelly’s 10-member Charter Review Commission. “Adding the at-large council members does allow a great opportunity for people to take part in city government who otherwise might not be able to.”

The inability to run for city office was one of the main arguments cited by charter change advocates who have wanted to discard the commission-form of government for years. But those who sat on the 2017 Charter Review Commission are unenthusiastic about this change.

Pat Kane, one of the city’s most vocal opponents to the city’s commission form of The inability to run for city office was one of the main arguments cited by charter change advocates who have wanted to discard the commission-form of government for years. But those who sat on the 2017 Charter Review Commission are unenthusiastic about this change.

government, called the expansion of the council a bad idea and wants to see a fiscal analysis, which won’t be ready until the Oct. 3 informational meeting at the Saratoga Springs Public Library. Deputy Commissioner of Finance Michael Sharp is preparing it now.

Bob Turner, the chair of the 2017 charter review commission that proposed to transform city government to one run by a city manager, said that the at-large members would not have the power or authority of the four commissioners and mayor.

“The proposed at large council members are clearly junior members,” Turner said. “It states ‘they shall have no powers or authority to serve or act as administrators or directors of any City department or entity. They shall not have deputies, but they shall be entitled to such employees as the Council may determine.’”

Gordon Boyd, another member of the disbanded 2017 charter review commission, said he’s against the plan to expand the council for a few reasons including it does not address separations of powers. “I’m still looking for these things,” Boyd said. “I haven’t quite found them yet.”

The idea is also getting a cool reception from those who defend the commission-form of government. Richard Sellers, a member of SUCCESS, is happy to sing the praises of the current charter review commission but stops short of saying he will vote for two at-large members.

John Kaufmann, the blogger for Saratoga Springs Politics who was critical of moving away from the commission form of government, supports the council additions.

Commissioner of Accounts John Franck, who came up with the idea, said it was a response to what he heard people complaining about during last few charter debates.

“It’s time consuming to be a commissioner,” Franck said. “I get that. We want to show that we are not tone-deaf and that people who have regular jobs, who aren’t retired or own their own business can run for office.”

He said if the plan is successful, perhaps the council could be expanded to nine, with four at-large members, in the future.

Franck thought that newer residents might be more open to the idea, but he wasn’t sure. A telephone poll of 250 residents, conducted by Public Opinion Strategy, found that people were split on the topic. Deleonardis noted that one third are for the expansion, one third are against and one third said they thought the change would be no impact.

If the charter amendments and the at-large wins approval, the new officials will be elected in November 2019, starting their terms in 2020. The salaries of the new officials will be determined later by City Council, Deleonardis said.