Ron Kim Is New Chair of Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee-Forget Reform

Following the stunning defeat of the majority of the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee’s nominees for City Council last November, the then chair, Otis Maxwell, announced he would be stepping down.

Committee member Toula Ousoujoglou volunteered to craft a survey to help determine why the election went so badly for the committee. The survey results indicated, not surprisingly, that participants found the poor quality of the endorsed candidates to be a major reason for the loss.

The new chair is Ron Kim. Kim was defeated by Republican John Safford following Kim’s disastrous first and only term as Mayor.

Kim’s performance as Mayor was so toxic and irrational that he managed to overshadow former Accounts Commissioner Dillon Moran, which was quite an achievement.

I contacted Gordon Boyd, who is on the committee, who informed me via email that Kim was elected unanimously. In fact, consistent with the chaos and indifference to process that have been the hallmark of the committee, there was no actual vote.

Kim’s time as Mayor was marked by marathon City Council meetings that often ran past 11:00 PM, during which Kim would throw tantrums, pounding the table and yelling. The litany of his mismanagement and abuse, often documented in epithet-laced emails, is extensive. Below are just a few highlights.

This video appeared on area television stations. As background, Kim received an email from a citizen that read, “Ron, just resign. It will be better for you in the end.” Kim contacted the Public Safety Commissioner, James Montagnino, insisting that he address what Kim interpreted as a threat. It would have been inappropriate for Montagnino to direct the police to take action against an individual, and Montagnino informed Kim that he should contact the officer at the desk regarding the matter. What followed is documented in this video. Readers should be advised that Kim laced his explosive behavior with epithets.

Kim Firing Of City Attorneys

One of Kim’s first actions as Mayor was to fire city attorneys Vince DeLeonardis and Tony Izzo. Izzo had been the assistant city attorney for over 30 years and has been an invaluable resource regarding the history of city government. DeLeonardis is a highly respected attorney who has served multiple city administrations.

Kim, touting his own skills as an attorney and those of his deputy, Angela Rella, asserted that the city had no need for DeLeonardis and Izzo. Kim, who had been a bankruptcy attorney, knew nothing about municipal law. He ignored that it would be inappropriate for him to serve both as Mayor and as the city’s legal representative. After a series of legal fiascos, he rehired Izzo and, eventually, another full-time lawyer.

The Bizarre Saga Of The Legal Settlement

This is a link to a story that documents the crazy conflict over paying the deductible for the settlement of a personnel litigation.

Briefly, the city has a liability insurance policy to cover this kind of litigation. The policy authorizes Travelers Insurance to handle these lawsuits. Travelers selects the attorney who is to handle the lawsuits, and Travelers is responsible for paying the costs of both the litigation and, after a deductible to be paid by the city, for absorbing the costs of any settlements or awards.

Kim, who failed to grasp this agreement, was outraged that the Travelers’ attorney settled the case without consulting him or obtaining his approval. He refused to pay the city’s deductible to Travelers.

He attempted to inject himself into the final meeting between the judge in the matter, Judge Mae D’Agostino, and the attorneys representing the plaintiff and the Travelers attorney. It was entirely inappropriate for Kim to inject himself, and the judge generously allowed him to address her. Her contempt for his behavior is quite amusing, and the entire story here is worth reading. This craziness is pure Ron Kim.

Hold On To Your Hat

Over the history of this blog, Ron Kim’s behavior has been a constant source of material. Using the blog’s search function with the name “Kim” will yield a bounty of stories, ranging from the comic to the truly ugly. It is simply beyond belief that the Democratic Committee has allowed him to become their chair.