At the February 3, 2026, Saratoga Springs City Council meeting, Finance Commissioner JoAnne Kiernan reported that the city’s recordkeeping in 2025 had been so chaotic and incomplete (bank reconciliations, for instance, had not been done since February, 2025, when Christine Gillmett-Brown resigned as Finance Director) that the auditor, after identifying numerous failures, informed her that the city’s finances, in their current condition, cannot be audited.
The following is the statement issued by Commissioner Kiernan, along with the related video of her presentation.
To her credit, Commissioner Kiernan never mentioned former Finance Commissioner Minita Sanghvi’s name, even though Sanghvi was wholly responsible for this debacle. This is in sharp contrast to how previous Council members often behaved. There is little doubt that had Sanghvi and former Accounts Commissioner Dillon Moran been at the table, and had Commissioner Kiernan been responsible for the 2025 finances, such a report would have brought about a barrage of shrill attacks and accusations.
In contrast, the members of the current Council focused on understanding and solving these problems rather than creating drama and making toxic attacks.
Sanghvi On The Run
As the city’s representative on the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, Sanghvi is required to attend all City Council meetings.
At the pre-agenda meeting on the Monday prior to the Council’s regular meeting, Kiernan announced she would be addressing the financial problems she was finding in her office.
Sanghvi arrived late for the regular meeting on Tuesday night, rushing to her seat. She blamed her tardiness on, among other things, her son’s basketball game going into overtime. Immediately following her brief supervisor’s report to the Council, she left the meeting without explanation, thus avoiding the embarrassment of sitting through Kiernan’s report.
Thank You, Christine Gillmett-Brown
Last year, I reported on Christine Gillmett-Brown’s sudden resignation as the city’s Director of Finance, which became effective at the end of February 2025. Gillmett-Brown had served the city for twenty-nine years. At the time, I commented on the suddenness of her departure and the fact that she had given just two weeks’ notice. This was inconsistent with her history of complete dedication to the city. I suspected that her precipitous exit may have been due to the burden of working under Sanghvi.
With the sudden departure on January 3,2026, of the Finance Director Sanghvi, hired last April, the city was in real trouble. In effect, the Finance Director is the city’s chief fiscal officer (CFO). In a testament to her dedication to the city, Gillmett-Brown agreed to return temporarily to help resolve the problems left behind by Sanghvi, while Commissioner Kiernan seeks to fill the position with a permanent appointment.
The Repair
I cannot emphasize enough how fortuitous it is that Joanne Kiernan, an accountant, is now Finance Commissioner, given the mess the city faces.
My understanding is that the city can reconstruct records so that eventually the auditor can begin his work. We should all be grateful to both Gillmette-Brown and Commissioner Kiernan, who must now carry on the regular and demanding duties of their jobs while reconstructing the city’s books.
Saratoga Springs Politics 
Among the many people in City Hall who have over the years worked behind the scenes to make City government work as well as possible, Christine Gillette-Brown was a stand-out. She provided professional oversight and continuity, first as Deputy Commissioner of Finance under a series of Commissioners and then as Director of Finance, arguably one of the most important positions in the building. Hopefully, she can now help Commissioner Kiernan straighten out these problems.
Count me among the Saratogians who were disappointed when the previous Council eliminated the incentive for taxpayers to pay their entire City/County tax bill by March 1. That discount had been in place since former Commissioner Madigan proposed it during the first few years of her ten year tenure. Property owners could receive a small discount while City government enjoyed the use of those funds for the entire year. It was a win-win situation that is now gone. Many Saratogians will respond by reverting to the four payment schedule, adversely affecting the City’s cash flow.
Chris Mathiesen
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