Board stirs up ‘toxic’ talk
Attorney: Member talking to staffer wasted $9,800
CLIFTON PARK — The Town Board on Monday reignited the debate over Town Hall’s alleged toxic work environment with an internal report that blames a former board member for months of turmoil, claiming she did it to elevate her political standing.
The report, written by Town Attorney Tom Mccarthy and first reported by The Daily Gazette, also alleged that Amy Standaert wasted more than $9,800 in taxpayer dollars when she spoke on the phone to a town employee while she worked remotely. And those phone calls, 25 in five months the report alleges, were an effort to enrich her political standing.
“These actions were taken for personal and political gain, in an attempt to force the Supervisor from office,” the report reads. “Taken separately and together, these actions constitute official misconduct and abuse of office.”
The report also claims that Standaert orchestrated the the Town Board’s approval of a $15,800 external report by Bond Schoeneck & King on Town Hall’s allegedly toxic work culture.
The Bond Schoeneck & King report was never shared publicly. However, Supervisor Phil Barrett said that the report only pointed to Highway Superintendent Dahn Bull, who he said the report deemed “unprofessional” when he raised his voice to an administrative assistant and wouldn’t meet with Mccarthy on procurements.
Bull, who is up for reelection in the fall, shared an email that he said illustrates that Barrett is in fact behaving inappropriately with Town Hall employees. In the email, Barrett told him this was “not the time for your passive aggressive wiseass bull ...” This is the latest in the saga over the
allegations of a toxic work environment at Town Hall that lingers despite Barrett’s promise to “move forward in a positive manner as a town government.” Employees, speaking anonymously with the Times Union, said the atmosphere continues to be difficult with one employee saying recently that “employees felt safe going to (Standaert) and that is not being perceived well. Everyone knew they could call her.”
Neither Barrett nor Mccarthy responded to a Times Union request for comment. However, town Republican Committee Chair Jeff Jones said the allegations of a toxic work environment are “a nonstory.”
When reached on Wednesday, Standaert would not comment on the Mccarthy report. But she did say she spoke with the employees on the phone about town business daily, and it was not an effort to boost her political standing. The employee, whom Mccarthy alleges she conspired with, when reached on Wednesday said they were discussing town business, not Standaert’s political career.
“We were not colluding,” he said.
Town Board members Standaert, Amy Flood and Lynda Walowit voted to hire the Albany law firm to identify problems in the workplace last May after Mccarthy told the Town Board there was a problem. In November, after being accused of trying to damage Barrett, Standaert and Flood resigned from the board. Walowit remained, saying “the people I want to work with are team players.”
The employee who Mccarthy alleged Standaert colluded with has since left Town Hall. Last April, he filed a report with Saratoga County Sheriff ’s Office in which he alleged Barrett pushed him. Barrett has denied the claim.
The employee, however, remains a member of the town’s Republican Committee, something he says is “strongly encouraged and highly recommended” to every town employee. He was sent an email on Wednesday morning, however, from Jones asking him to resign or “I will start the process with the county to get you removed. Resigning will be the easiest route to take. Otherwise, the process will be very public and potentially embarrassing to you, which I’m trying to avoid for your sake.”
Standaert was also on the committee and has since resigned that post, too. She is the fourth board member to resign from the Town Board since 2020. The five-member Town Board is an all-republican body.
Meanwhile, Bull is convinced that a town employee, picked by Barrett, will run against him.
“I had a problem with Phil and now he’s trying to coordinate with a town employee to run against me,” Bull said. “I abide by the Highway Superintendent handbook. I don’t believe in cronyism. I don’t play games. I work for the town residents.”
Jones said it’s up to the committee if they want to endorse Bull again.