Golub to replace late leader as head of DPW
Jason Golub won the recommendation to replace the late Anthony “Skip” Scirocco Sr. as public works commissioner, a historic move toward making Golub the first Black person to have a seat at the City Council.
Search committee chair John Franck said Golub, interviewed with two other candidates on Friday night, got a unanimous nod from the five-member committee. His nomination beat out former city DPW director and Deputy Commissioner Bill Mctygue, and Anthony Scirocco Jr., a supervisor with Saratoga County DPW and Scirocco Sr.’s son.
“We thought all three candi
Even though he didn’t have a lot of the experience to know the inner workings of DPW, he had a lot of forward-thinking. Like using technology to tell people when their leaves will be picked up or a pothole will be filled.”
Search committee chair John Franck
dates were excellent,” Franck said. “Anthony (Scirocco) came under tough circumstances. Billy did well. But Jason was just more prepared. He answered the questions more broadly . ... It was pretty clear to the five of us that Jason fared the best.”
After the unanimous backing, Franck said Mayor Ron Kim told him that there was no need to go into executive session with the committee on the appointment, which was expected to be announced at Tuesday night’s council meeting. Golub said he was excited about the prospect and was planning to attend that meeting.
The committee was formed after Scirocco Sr., who served on the council for 14 years, died April 6 after battling cancer. The bipartisan committee screened each applicant in public interviews on Friday night. Franck said before the committee discussed each candidate, he polled the members and all voted for Golub.
Tim Holmes, a committee member and former Republican candidate for mayor, wrote up the recommendation that Franck said was delivered to the mayor on Sunday night.
“Even though he didn’t have a lot of the experience to know the inner workings of DPW, he had a lot of forward-thinking,” Franck said. “Like using technology to tell people when their leaves will be picked up or a pothole will be filled.”
Franck also said that Golub, who is an attorney for General Electric and was co-chair of the city’s Police Reform Task Force, “was more in tune with the issues at hand.”
For example, when asked about other issues in the city beyond DPW, Golub brought up civil rights and homelessness. He also said one of his priorities is the creation of a civilian review board to oversee police.
Golub will be the third attorney on City Council. Mayor Kim and Public Safety Commissioner Jim Montagnino are also attorneys.
Golub’s name was initially put forward days after Scirocco Sr.’s death by members of the Black community, mainly President and CEO of Soteryx Sean Wiggins and Black Lives Matter leader Lexis Figuereo, who said it was time to have a Black person on the council.
At the time, Golub said he thought it was a great idea.
“I think that would go a long way after what happened over the last few years,” he said April 11. “There would be a lot of bridge-building, trust-building if that were to happen.”
If chosen, Golub will not be the first person of color, however.
Kim is Asian-american and Commissioner of Finance Minita Sanghvi is from India.
While Scirocco Jr., a Republican, was not selected by the committee, he said he will run for his father’s seat as it was his final wish for his son to succeed him. Golub, a Democrat, also said he would run. Only Mctygue said he wouldn’t run for the office, which pays $14,500 a year.
A special election will be called in November to fill the seat through the end of Scirocco Sr.’s term, which ends Dec. 21, 2023.