Cassie Bagramian, the Democratic Commissioner of the Saratoga County Board of Elections, and Joe Suhrada, the Republican Commissioner, have both signed off on the ballot for a special election to be held on January 28, 2025, to fill the Saratoga Springs Department of Public Works Commissioner vacancy created when Jason Golub resigned. The ballot will only have Republican Charles “Chuck” Marshall on it.
If they were capable of it, Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee chair Otis Maxwell and Accounts Commissioner Dillon Moran should feel embarrassed.
Maxwell has accused Judge Walsh, who issued the decision that the special election must go forward, of ignoring the facts and of partisanship.
We are disappointed but not surprised by Judge Walsh’s ruling. The statement that a calendar for a DPW special election had been “published” is factually incorrect and should be basis for appeal. In the meantime, Saratogians can be confident this important city department is in good hands with the incumbent commissioner, Hank Kuczynski.
Saratoga Springs Facebook Page Edited By Maxwell
In an earlier post, I documented Moran’s claims that there had never been a calendar published and that this meant there would be no special election.
They Never Stop
It is worth noting that 1, state municipal law does not require a calendar because all the dates are set based on the date the election was “proclaimed,” and 2, the city charter placed the responsibility to publish the calendar in the hands of the Commissioner of Accounts. So, if it had been required and had not been drafted, it would have been Moran who failed in his duties.
The following is taken from the city’s charter.
12.3.1 Publication of election timetable. The Commissioner of Accounts shall cause to be published a timetable indicating times when each step shall be taken to designate, nominate, and submit petitions for partisan and independent candidates under the New York State Election Law. Such timetable shall be published first in the City’s official newspaper or newspapers no later than two weeks after the issuance of the official political calendar of the New York State Board of Elections, and a copy shall be placed on file at the City Clerk’s office. There shall be a second publication of the timetable no later than the first day for circulation of partisan petitions.
Even more bizarre, notwithstanding Maxwell and Moran’s claim that it was not crafted and submitted, here it is:
As if all this were not enough, the fact that Commissioner Bagramian has declined to appeal the judge’s decision and has certified the ballot should prove that Moran and Maxwell were putting out a blizzard of disinformation.
How much longer will the Democratic Committee put up with these two being the face of the party?
Saratoga Springs Politics 
Looks like I’ll be voting for the Republican.
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No disrespect intended, but have they even read through the city’s charter or do they rely on others to tell them what’s in it?
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