Saratoga Springs Politics

I have written in recent posts about the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors granting a 50% raise to their “essential” employees. Here’s more of what I have been learning about this.

The Cost Of These Salary Increases Is Estimated To Be Big

According to the minutes of the March 17 Board of Supervisors meeting, the estimated cost of this raise was projected to be $325,000.00 per week. This was the number presented to the Board by Spencer Hellwig, County Administrator. He did indicate that there was hope that the number of employees covered by this might be reduced in the future. He also acknowledged he had no idea how long this would go on. So if these raises were projected out over four weeks it would cost Saratoga County an additional $1,300,000.00.

Some Background

The Law and Finance Committee for the Board of Supervisors basically sets the Board of Supervisors agendas. All resolutions from subcommittees of the Board must pass through this committee, and the Law and Finance Committee also drafts their own resolutions.

Rob Arrigo, chair of the Saratoga County Libertarian Party, sent me the minutes from the March 17, 2020, Law and Finance Committee and the March 17, 2020, full Board of Supervisors meeting. These documents are the sources of much of the information for this post.

Saratoga Springs Supervisors Deny Knowledge Of How The Salaries For Essential Employees were increased by 50%

As noted in the last post, Supervisor Tara Gaston claimed she had no knowledge of how the salary increases had been instituted and claimed that she had written to the county (it is not clear exactly to whom) asking for clarification. She said she had heard nothing.

Supervisor Matthew Veitch responded to an email asking him about these raises. In his email he said that he opposes them and would vote against them. Similar to Ms. Gaston he said he was not involved in the decision and had no knowledge of how it was done.

Unfortunately for both Supervisors Gaston and Veitch the records show that they were both privy to discussions about adopting the policy and directly involved in the decision. In reality, they both voted to adopt the salary increases.

What The Public Record Shows

According to the minutes of the Law and Finance Committee, while neither Ms. Gaston or Mr. Veitch is a member of the Committee, both Supervisors were in attendance and were privy to the decision to send the salary increases proposal to the full Board.

Here is an excerpt from the minutes of the meeting:

Mr. Schopf asked for clarification that half of the County’s workforce is being sent home yet still have to appropriate $325,000. Mr. Wright said it is because of the employees working will receive time and one-half. (Emphasis added)

Law and Finance Committee Minutes

It Is Not True!

Mr. Kusnierz asked if the State and other localities were providing time and a half. Ms. McNamara said the state was as well as some municipalities.

Law and Finance Committee Minutes

Ms. McNamara is Marcie McNamara, the county Director of Human Resources. In a story on WNYT (Channel 13), Mark Mulholand reported that Washington County was paying its hourly workers more but not its salaried employees which Saratoga is. As far as I can tell, that is the only other county. What is clearly false is her assertion that state workers are receiving time and a half.

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At the full Board of Supervisors meeting, again both Supervisors Gaston and Veitch were present.

The minutes of the discussion of the resolution that would allow for the salary increases makes clear that the Supervisors were fully aware of the impact the resolution would have if adopted.

Here is just one excerpt from the minutes of that meeting:

He [JK: Supervisor Kusnierz] asked the County Administrator to provide the costs as they relate to salaries and rates of pay for the 30 day period. Mr. Hellwig said the cost per week is approximately $325,000 [JK: The figure used at the Law and Finance Committee for how much the increase of time and a half would cost]. Mr. Kusnierz said this is an issue that will continue for some time and asked if there is an anticipation that these provisions will continue to be renewed moving forward after the 30 days. Mr. Allen said there is no way to predict how long this will continue.

At the end of this post is the full text of the discussion regarding the raises. The resolution that would allow for these raises passed unanimously. It begs credibility that both Ms. Gaston and Mr. Veitch were unaware that their vote would result in these raises going forward.

Even more stunning, as the minutes show, Ms. Gaston attempted to end the public discussion of these raises and move to an executive session. Clearly she saw how potentially volatile this issue could be.

A Major Conflict of Interest

The resolution included a clause that authorized the establishment of what I will call the “Special Committee” to determine “rates of compensation.” The committee will be comprised of the Chair of the Board of Supervisors, the chairs of two subcommittees of the Board, the County Administrator, and the Director of Human Resources.

The County Administrator and the Director of Finance have clear conflicts of interest. Both of these positions are beneficiaries of the 50% raises. Why these two administrative positions need these raises is something I cannot answer. Having them sit on the committee that determines their own salaries adds insult to injury.

Here is the text authorizing their participation in the committee

RESOLVED, that the Chair of the Board, the Chair of the Law and Finance Committee, the Chair of the Human Resources and Insurance Committee, the County Administrator and the Director of Human Resources shall have the authority to jointly determine appropriate County employee staffing levels and rates of compensation that are consistent and in compliance with the current directives of any Executive Order issued by the Governor of the State of New York relative to local government staffing levels; and be it further

A Slight Of Hand That Fools No One

A careful reading of the resolution reveals that there is nothing in it that explicitly authorizes the 50% increase for salaries of “essential workers”. Instead it empowers the “Special Committee” to set salaries. This maneuver made it possible for the members of the Board of Supervisors to claim “deniability.” They think they can avoid accountability by claiming they were not involved in the actual establishment of the salaries even though they voted to establish a committee whose clear purpose was to do this.

This is truly the gang that couldn’t shoot straight. Both the minutes of the Law and Finance Committee and the Board of Supervisors reveal that the main purpose of the Special Committee was to raise salaries. The minutes record the Supervisors discussing what the projected cost for the raises will be. The horse is out of the barn. It is too late to claim ignorance.

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For those who are interested, here is further information from the minutes for the Law and Finance Committee as they deliberated about the raises and the minutes of the full Board of Supervisors covering their discussion of this issue:

Excerpt From Minutes Of Law And Finance

Mr. Schopf asked for clarification that half of the County’s workforce is being sent home yet still have to appropriate $325,000. Mr. Wright said it is because of the employees working will receive time and one-half. Mr. Hellwig said there was a meeting with the unions. Three days later the State’s Executive Order came out. The unions responded if employees had to go to work, there should be additional compensation. Mr. Kusnierz asked if that was for salaried individuals as well or just union employees. Mr. Hellwig said all county employees. Mr. Kusnierz is concerned with the precedent this may be setting. Mr. Pemrick said everything that is happening right now is brand new, precedents may be set and we will have to deal with them later. Mrs. McNamara said this was a union decision as well as a management decision. Mr. Kusnierz asked if the State and other localities were providing time and a half. Mrs. McNamara said the state was as well as some municipalities. Mr. Pemrick said this was being evaluated on a weekly basis. Mrs. McNamara said Departments will be evaluated to determine if they can close.

On a motion was made by Mr. Wright, seconded by Mr. Tollisen a resolution authorizing emergency actions was unanimously adopted. Mr. Kusnierz and Mr. Schopf were in support of moving this forward to the Board for discussion.

Full Text Of Board of Supervisors Discussion on Raises

Mr. Kusnierz said he supported Resolution 84 in Law and Finance to move it to the Board for discussion. He said the last resolved indicates that the provision of the resolution shall be in effect for as long as the emergency is in effect for the County. He asked the County Administrator to provide the costs as they relate to salaries and rates of pay for the 30 day period. Mr. Hellwig said the cost per week is approximately $325,000. Mr. Kusnierz said this is an issue that will continue for some time and asked if there is an anticipation that these provisions will continue to be renewed moving forward after the 30 days. Mr. Allen said there is no way to predict how long this will continue. Mr. Kusnierz asked if there was a cost estimate if this goes until the end of the fiscal year. Mr. Hellwig said there is no way to know but there are initiatives in place to scale this back. There are departments that additional reductions can be made to lower the cost to the County. The list of departments is a work in progress but will have a better idea in a day or two. Mrs. McNamara said each department has been asked to cut their workforce by at least 50%. The Public Works Department has been reduced by 82%. She said Thursday she would provide a recommended list of departments that can close as the interaction between county employees needs to be limited.

Mr. Kinowski asked if there was any chance of recouping funds from the State/Federal Government. Mr. Hellwig said all departments have been asked to track any extraordinary expenses as a result of the pandemic.

Mr. Barrett asked if the provision for additional pay is in any of the NYS Executive Orders. Mrs. McNamara said it was not. It was purely from an employee relations standpoint. Mr. Barrett asked who was covered by the provisions. Mrs. McNamara said it is any county employee who is coming in to work.

Ms. Gaston asked for a point of order as she questioned whether this subject would be better discussed in Executive Session. Mr. Dorsey said the discussion was relevant to the Resolution presented and does not need to be in Executive Session.

Mr. Barrett said if the Public Works Department was reduced by 82% will there be enough manpower going forward to handle situations as they may arise. Mrs. McNamara said the Public Works Commissioner can call back any or all of his workforce as he deems necessary.

Mr. Barrett said it was mentioned at Law and Finance that this would be looked at on a weekly basis. He does not see that in the resolution what the mechanism for that review is. Mr. Dorsey said in the last resolved on the third page does state who would be reviewing this.

Mr. Schopf said his concern is the appropriation for $150,000 for regular wages and if he reads the resolution correctly, that is for additional staffing for Public Health; and $325,000 for additional wages for over time/non overtime wages for people who are supposed to report to work anyway. That amount is more than what is allocated in resolution. Mr. Allen said the amount is what the County has at this time and if departments are closed that number will drop. Mr. Schopf asked Mr. Cooke about the $325,000 that was reported at Law & Finance. Mr. Cooke said that was the number reported if the staffing remains at 50%; however that 50% number has gone down and will continue to go down. Mr. Schopf said his concern is some of his constituents may lose their jobs and the county is essentially providing a 50% raise.

Mr. Pemrick said he knows money trumps just about anything. This unique situation requires unique actions. This is an opportunity to keep people safe but also build some respect, cooperation and good will within the staff.

Mr. Peck said we are in trying times and we need to give some flexibility to the leadership to help guide the County. We need to stand behind them and support them. We need to evolve and move forward as we go through this process.

Mr. Lawler asked if the concern is on the compensation portion of the resolution. Mr. Schopf said his concern was for the additional funding for staff and not for the funding to support Public Health. Mr. Lawler said we are in unchartered waters and there are merits on both sides of this. He suggested committing to the time and a half for a 30-day period but beyond that, there needs to be a review. Mrs. McNamara said the county would not be committed to a 30-day period for the time and a half. She said it will be one week at a time and the unions do know that.

Mr. Schopf said that he would support it for a one-week period. Mr. Kusnierz said he whole-heartedly supports this. His concerns have been addressed.

[JK: From the Saratoga Springs Police Facebook Page]

“The Saratoga Springs PBA wanted to do something for the amazing Emergency Room and ICU staff of Saratoga Hospital, so they ordered a meal to deliver from Druthers Brewing Company. Officers went to Druthers to pick up their purchase only to discover that not only did Druthers donate the meal made for the hospital staff, but they also made food for the Police and Fire Departments! Huge thank you to Druthers. To the staff at Saratoga Hospital: thank you will never be enough. We see the hard work you are doing and the personal sacrifices you are making!”

From Public Safety Commissioner Robin Dalton:

“I continue to be inspired by the passion and dedication of our police and fire departments. They are leading by example in this time of crisis and we all applaud them.”

This is a follow-up to my earlier post about the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors granting a fifty percent increase to their essential employees that, not surprisingly and according to the Times Union, includes all the top management at the County. There was a recent article by Wendy Liberatore for the Times Union that sheds a little more light on this.

Three of the the recipients of the county government’s largess are:

County Administrator, Spencer Hellwig $166,653 X 1.5 = $249,980

Sheriff Michael Zurlo $134,325 X 1.5 = $241,488

Emergency Services Director, Carl Zeilman, $79,746 X 1.5 = $119,649 [JK: Mr. Zeilman is also the Chairman of the Saratoga County Republican Party]

I know that our own Mayor and Commissioners are putting in long hours for their regular annual salaries of $14,500.00. I know that their deputies are similarly working very hard and not from home which puts them at risk but their salaries are remaining the same. Our police and firefighters and Public Works employees are working at the same salaries. Most importantly I think of the nurses and doctors who are and will be working long hours under threat of the virus for their normal pay, and I think about these county “managers” receiving these out sized bonuses of taxpayer money and I am truly outraged.

What I have been unable to find out is how this was done and who was responsible for the decision. The article in the Times Union did not provide any explanation. Normally, one would expect that this action would require a resolution by the Board of Supervisors. I am reprinting a comment submitted by Lew Benton who at one time worked for the County and also held the office in the city of Public Safety Commissioner (see below).

I spoke to Saratoga Springs Supervisor Tara Gaston and she told me that so far she has been unable to get an answer as to how all this occurred. I also wrote to the city’s other Supervisor, Matthew Veitch, asking him whether he supported the decision and also how the decision was made and by whom.

The history of our county government is rife with cronyism and incompetence but the fact that they would take advantage of this national crisis to enrich themselves is truly a disgrace.

Lew Benton’s Assessment

John,

I have read the TU article referenced in the John K. post above. The story seems to lack content.

Can you find out if the 50% increase in compensation for certain County official was formally authorized by resolution of the Board of Supervisors. The story notes that some members of the Board, including one of the city’s, seem to have not been fully aware. Certainly that suggests that the award was made without required legal authority.

As you know, Saratoga in a non-charter county and is governed by NYS General County Law. So certainly only the Board of Supervisors would have the authority by formal action to grant such increases. Also, the County does not have a county executive. The siting chairman of the Board serves in the executive capacity but he can only act, as in this matter, if specifically authorized by vote of the full Board. He cannot unilaterally act.

There is a County administrator, but he is not an executive authority and serves at the pleasure of the Board. That title was established by local law of the Board and has limited authority, certainly nothing that would permit an action that amounts to amending the County budget and compensation schedule.

So it is inscrutable, as the story suggests, that there was no formal action.

Can you use your contacts to clarify. Certainly officials such as the county sheriff and county administrator would not be entitled to additional compensation for performing duties in a public emergency that are inherently part of their roles. Perhaps the story is not accurate so clarification would be helpful.

Thanks.

Lew Benton

Joseph Stieglitz, an economist who has won the Nobel Prize, was interviewed last week regarding the economic crisis precipitated by the Coronavirus.

In discussing the problematic responses of Congress and the President, he observed that one of the most glaring issues being ignored is the crisis that states and local governments are going to face.

According to estimates from the New York State Association of Counties, lost sales tax revenues could be devastating for local governments in New York. I got these numbers from a Gazette Newspaper article written by Stephen Williams :

• Albany County could lose between $11.2 and $34 million.
• Fulton County could lose between $1 and $3.2 million
• Montgomery County could lose between $1 and $3.2 million
• Saratoga County could lose between $5.9 and $24 million
• Schenectedy County could lose between $3.6 and $11 million
• Schoharie County could lose between $583,000.00 and $1.8 million

[JK: We are so fortunate to have Stephen Williams still covering our county. Given the retirements and turnover in newspapers, to have Mr. Williams institutional memory serving us is extremely fortunate. He has an exemplary record for fairness and accuracy. Thank you, Stephen]

Here in Saratoga Springs, where much of our city income is dependent on the hospitality industry, real estate, and retail sales, the impact is potentially devastating.

This financial threat comes on top of the potential loss of 2.3 million dollars of VLT money from the state. While this money has been restored in the NYS Assembly budget it is not in the Senate version. It remains to be seen whether it will be included in the final state budget.

The city does such an excellent job that many people are not aware of all the services the city provides. From the maintenance of our roads and water supply to fire and police protection, city employees do the work that is often taken for granted but is what makes Saratoga a safe and congenial place to live.

I spoke to Commissioner of Finance Michele Madigan. She offered the following:

“Fortunately our city is going into this turbulent time financially strong.  We have a top bond rating.  We have excellent cash flow.  We have very strong internal controls and with the new addition of Lynn Bachner as our budget officer, we have a detailed grasp of the budgetary needs of our departments.”

“Still as a country we need the Federal government to think strategically about insuring that the local services provided by our towns, villages, and cities are delivered during these difficult times.”

We have yet to see President Trump meeting with mayors or other local officials, but we regularly see him meeting with corporate executives. While we need to protect their employees, we have a history of our large corporations exploiting Washington. The airline industry was showered with tax breaks in the last tax package. Instead of establishing reserves for potential crises such as we are now experiencing, they spent literally billions buying back their own stock to inflate the value of their executive’s options. Now the taxpayer is expected to bail them out. We cannot let these airlines fail, but hopefully (and I do mean hopefully)the Federal government will insist on bailout terms to protect employees and the public interest.

I am pessimistic about what the financial “rescue” package will look like, however, once the lobbyists get done.

Reorganization In The Finance Office

In response to the looming financial challenges to the city brought on by the pandemic, Commissioner of Finance Michele Madigan received City Council approval to hire a Budget Director for the City of Saratoga Springs.

. “Our efforts to protect the health, safety, and welfare of our citizens and visitors are dependent on our ability to manage the economic impacts of the current, and rapidly changing situation,” Madigan explained. “There is no better time than now to ensure a strong finance team is available to work through the looming financial situation that will affect city revenues and expenses in the very near-term.”

Lynn Bachner has been hired to fill this new position [JK: Full disclosure, Lynn is a friend].

Lynn Bachner is an exceptional appointment. She has a Juris Doctor from University of Wisconsin Law School and Masters Degree from Johns Hopkins.
She was the Deputy Commissioner of Finance for eight years for two different Finance Commissioners during the administrations of five different Mayors. She is currently the Executive Assistant to Mayor Meg Kelly.

Ms. Bachner enjoyed the reputation of knowing every detail of the expenditures of every city department which explained her ability to craft budgets that were accepted by the other city departments. Given the potential for conflict in crafting the city budget, the respect and popularity she enjoyed at city hall reflected both her knowledge of details and sense of fairness.

Regrettably, in light of the looming challenges for city revenue, in order to hire Ms. Bachner, Commissioner Madigan had to indefinitely furlough Deirdre O’Dwyer -Ladd, her Deputy. Ms. Madigan praised Ms. O’Dwyer-Ladd in her announcement regarding the reorganization.

Ms. O’Dwyer-Ladd truly is an exceptional person. Those cynical about public employees would get a healthy education on the quality of those who work for the city if they had the good fortune of knowing her. I feel badly, not only for her but for the city, that we had to make this sacrifice.

https://twitter.com/protectheflames/status/1241696164782669824

This is by far the best comprehensive review regarding the pandemic that I have seen. 

Dr. Ashish Jha is, among other things, Professor of Global Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Director of the Harvard Global Health Institute.

The presentation is about an hour long but well worth the time (especially as most of us are hunkered down)

So while hospital aids are risking their lives for their regular pay, and thousands are losing their jobs, Saratoga County has agreed to pay its “essential workers” time and a half. Given the current economic meltdown and the major financial problems ahead for local governments it’s hard to imagine the rationale for the county to add $320,000 a week to its budget to pay for this.

It is unclear how this decision was made. I contacted Supervisor Tara Gaston by email, and she responded that she was not involved in the decision. I did not bother to email Matt Veitch because he does not reply to my inquiries. I was told by a source that there was some sort of memo of understanding between the county and its unions. If Supervisor Gaston was not involved then I assume this was never voted on by the entire Board. The whole thing is rather murky. It is hard to understand how such a major decision like this could be made without a vote by the Board of Supervisors, but the history of the County adhering to proper procedures is not a happy one so anything is possible.

At the March 3 City Council meeting, City Attorney Vincent DeLeonardis, reviewed concerns raised by the public regarding the first draft of the Unified Development Ordinances (UDO). He also shared some of the changes being recommended by his team for the next draft.

These are the recommended changes he cited in his presentation:

1. The proposal to reduce the minimum lot size for the UR3 district of the city should be dropped.
2. The proposed reduction in the required side setbacks between houses should be dropped.
3. The proposal to allow “cottage court/Pocket Neighborhoods” should be removed. [JK: The closest thing to this concept would be the notorious Downton Walk on Jumel Place.]
4. The proposed list for allowed uses in the greenbelt should be culled. As an example of a use that should be removed he cited RV (Recreation Vehicle) parks.

Mr. DeLeonardis was careful in an email to me to qualify these changes as being “recommended.” I am assuming that the recommendations would be made to the consultants, Camiros, and that no final decision has been made. Still, it is reasonable to assume that as Camiros is under contract to the city, that recommendations made by the city would be accepted.

Let’s Hear It For Saratoga Springs!

Many of the people I have spoken to regarding the UDO cynically dismissed the value of submitting comments. Routinely I heard from them that public comment was a formality and that attempting to affect the outcome of the UDO was pointless.

I find this attitude understandable but very frustrating and fortunately many Saratogians did submit comments. Mayor Kelly, her deputy Lisa Shields, and City Attorney Vincent DeLeonardis spent many hours not only at the four public sessions they ran but at individual meetings with neighbors. I can only report to the readers of this blog that they were sincerely interested in the concerns of the people of our city.

My conversations with the other members of the City Council were similarly marked by an openness to the concerns they were hearing from the public.

I can understand why people feel cynical. The history of the land use boards and the city Planning Staff has not been good. The travesty of Downton Walks is a poster child for the indifference and at times condescension that concerned neighbors had to endure when trying to raise their concerns with these institutions.

Still, times change. The administration of Mayor Kelly is very different from the world we endured when Scott Johnson was Mayor.

This city can rightfully be proud of how we as a community have evolved.

For Release: Immediate Date: March 16, 2020

PRESS RELEASE

Saratoga Springs Update on New York State-Wide Restrictions

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – Saratoga Springs Mayor Meg Kelly provides an update on new statewide restrictions announced by Governor Andrew Cuomo:

In conjunction with New Jersey Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Governor Phil Murphy, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a series of state-wide restrictions in a press conference that will go into effect at 8 PM on Monday, March 16, 2020.

These restrictions will apply to all Saratoga Springs businesses until further notice. They include:

 A limit on crowd capacity for recreational and social gatherings to 50 people. o This follows updated guidance that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued yesterday recommending the cancellation or postponement of in-person events consisting of 50 people or more.  Restaurants and bars will close on-premise services and move to take-out and delivery only. o These establishments will be provided a waiver for carry-out alcohol.  Movie theaters, gyms and, casinos will temporarily close.

These new restrictions have been deemed necessary by Governor Cuomo amid a lack of national uniform standards. He said, “New York is partnering with our neighboring states to implement a uniform standard that not only keeps our people safe but also prevents ‘state shopping’ where residents of one state travel to another and vice versa. I have called on the federal government to implement nationwide protocols but in their absence we are taking this on ourselves.”

Saratoga Springs Mayor Meg Kelly and Commissioner of Public Safety Robin Dalton agree with the Governor, adding “Saratoga Springs is known for being a destination city, including our renowned restaurants and tourist attractions, but nothing is more important than the health and safety of our City’s most cherished resources: its residents and workers. Only by working with the state and federal governments can we ensure that we will remain a safe, healthy, and vibrant city.”

Hospitals, grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations and other essential businesses will remain open until changed by a further order.

[JK: I received this press release today (Sunday March 15, 2020)]

CITY HALL 474 Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Telephone 518-587-3550

Meg Kelly Mayor

Robin Dalton Commissioner of Public Safety

For Release: Immediate Date: March 15, 2020

PRESS RELEASE

Saratoga Springs Officials Release Update on City Operations All essential services will continue including Fire, Police, and outside DPW operations.

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – Mayor Meg Kelly and Public Safety Commissioner Robin Dalton provide an update to City services, as well as the community resources available for the public:

The City Council announced on Friday, March 13 that the City of Saratoga Springs has declared a State of Emergency. City Hall offices will be closed to the public beginning Monday, March 16 until rescinded by a further order.

The City Police Department, Fire/EMS Department, and vital Public Works staff will continue to operate as normal. If you have a lifethreatening emergency, please call 911. Call your health care provider FIRST if you have any concerns over your health and possible exposure to COVID-19.

The City Council will hold its regularly scheduled meeting on March 17, but the public will not be allowed to attend in person. The public is encouraged to email Mayor Kelly’s office at Meg.Kelly@Saratoga-Springs.org with any questions or comments they would like to have entered into the record. City Council meetings will be live streamed through our website and our Facebook page.

The City Land Use Boards are cancelled for at least the next two weeks, including the March 27 meeting.

City Department Contacts:

 Accounts Department: o 518-210-3243 (Marilyn Rivers, Director of Risk and Safety)  Mayor’s Department: o 518-414-2118 (Lisa Shields, Deputy Mayor)  Public Safety Department: o 911 (Emergency) o 518-584-1800 (Police Department Non-Emergency) o 518-587-3599 (Fire Department Non-Emergency) o 518-265-6485 (Eileen Finneran, Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety)  Public Works Department: o 518-584-3356 (Department Dispatch)  Finance Department: o Finance will be communicating regarding City payments (taxes, utility bills, etc.). Please check the City website for updates

Residents are encouraged to visit the City’s website at http://www.Saratoga-Springs.org to receive updates on City operations. Parking tickets, utilities and taxes are payable online via the “Make a Payment” link on the City Website’s homepage.
Information Links:

Health Care — https://www.saratogacountyny.gov/departments/publichealth/

Courts — http://www.nycourts.gov

Schools — http://www.SaratogaSchools.org The Saratoga Springs School District is closed effective immediately through Sunday April 19.

Please visit the City’s website at http://www.Saratoga-Springs.org to receive updates on City operations.