Readers may recall the controversy that arose at the March 19 Saratoga Springs City Council meeting over an item on Finance Commissioner Minita Sanghvi’s agenda to set aside enough money to fund a whole year of more on-Call pay for Deputy Accounts Commissioner Stacy Connors.[LINK] At the time, neither Sanghvi nor Accounts Commissioner Dillon Moran could explain how that request for $6,520 got on the agenda.
With a little sleuthing, I am happy to report that I can now explain to them exactly how this happened. Documents acquired through the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) clearly show Deputy Accounts Commissioner Stacy Connors’ reply to a request from the Finance Department to submit a budget transfer for $1,128.15 to cover the rest of what Connors had collected for On-Call pay for 2023. Connors’ reply email asks not for the amount requested from Finance to be transferred but for a different amount, $6520, that could cover On Call pay to her for all of 2024.
Request From Finance Department For Transfer of $1,128.15 To Cover On-Call Shortfall From 2023
Accounts Responds WithBudget Transfer Request From Stacy Connors for $6,520.00.
Improper Request
These emails document an apparent attempt to budget On-Call pay for a full year covering every week in 2024, totaling $6,520.00 for Stacy Connors, in spite of a legal opinion by the City Attorneys that the legislation establishing on-Call pay was not intended to compensate Deputies for performing their regular responsibilities, such as attending City Council meetings, an activity that Connors was given extra on-Call pay for in 2023.
Readers should understand that the Finance Commissioner plays a crucial role in the system of checks and balances in the commission form of government. It is the responsibility of the Department of Finance to not only maintain the city’s financial records but to scrutinize all expenditures to make sure they are appropriate. Sanghvi needs to explain how and why she and those who work in the Finance Department let Connor’s request for a year of On-call pay get on Sanghvi’s agenda. If this change was “missed” what else is Sanghvi and the department she oversees “missing”?
Saratoga Springs Politics 
Has this issue been brushed under the rug?
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What has happened to this issue? Connors actions seem fairly egregious – has the council taken any action?
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