In a separate post I will be writing about this week’s meeting of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors (December 15, 2020) but the events at the meeting prompted me to ask Supervisors Tara Gaston and Matt Veitch about reform for Saratoga County.
The tradition at the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors has been to promote the chair of the Law and Finance Committee to the chair of the Board of Supervisors.
This year that would mean promoting Daniel Pemrick (Town of Greenfield) to head the Board. Pemrick has been a loyal member of the “Usual Suspects” who have been responsible for the litany of mismanagement we have all had to suffer through.
If they stay united, the Supervisors representing the largest municipalities have the votes to end this practice and appoint someone who has actually demonstrated the competence to be the chair.
I emailed both Tara Gaston and Matt Veitch to see if they would go on record as supporting change. I asked them “Do you plan to vote for Supervisor Pemrick [for chair of the BOS]? I interpret their responses that they will not be supporting Supervisor Pemrick.
From Tara Gaston:
No. In addition to the failures of current leadership, Pemrick and Allen both refused – several times – to recognize me at the Board when properly seeking to be recognized. While there is (unfortunately) no requirement that they do so in the rules, the behavior is disrespectful to another elected official, harms my ability to act on behalf of my constituents, and – particularly when considered with the failure to control the floor when personal or political debates arise in the course of a meeting – smacks of bias. I have made it clear that past practice (where the succession is also determined in closed caucus) does a disservice to County residents. I will be voting in January for the individual seeking the position who I believe is best positioned to steer the ship away from the rocks and work hard for County residents. Just as we obtain our positions as Supervisors through proving our worth and leadership to voters, so should a Chairperson to the Board.
Email from Supervisor Gaston, December 16, 2020
From Supervisor Veitch
As far as your second question, I am ready to vote for new leadership at the County Board of Supervisors for 2021. I won’t say anything more on that at this time.
Email from Supervisor Veitch, December 17, 2020
Saratoga Springs Politics 
Matt, Tara, Phil, the whole Northway crew- end the madness! Take back the reigns, WE ARE BEGGING YOU… Disrupt the chain of chairpeople and maybe, I don’t know, look for a new administrator? Perhaps new head of HR?
What a glorious start to the year it could be..
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