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Saratoga County committee sets public hearing on proposed bar closing hours after safety testimony; item advances 7-2
Summary
The Law & Finance Committee voted 7-2 on March 12 to set an April 9 public hearing on a proposed local law changing last-call hours for licensed establishments; Saratoga Springs public safety officials urged earlier closings for officer safety.
Saratoga County’s Law & Finance Committee voted 7-2 on March 12 to set a public hearing for April 9 on a proposed local law changing the hours when licensed establishments must stop serving alcohol.
The proposal forwarded to the full Board would set last call at 2 a.m. from Nov. 1 through April 30 and at 3 a.m. from May 1 through Oct. 31, with a special exception of 4 a.m. on New Year’s Eve. The hearing is scheduled for April 9 at 4:30 p.m.
Committee members debated whether to adopt a uniform 3 a.m. closing year-round instead of the two-tiered schedule. Supervisor Jeremy Butler pressed for a single 3 a.m. deadline, saying small-town businesses prefer a simpler rule; Supervisor Butler raised the point explicitly during committee discussion. County legal staff said changing the posted public notice after the hearing could be regarded as a “substantial change” that might require another public hearing; the legal adviser said he would research how courts define “substantial” in that context.
Saratoga Springs Public Safety Commissioner Tim Cole testified to the committee in support of earlier closing times, saying department command staff and the Saratoga County sheriff are aligned in favoring earlier last calls. Cole said late-morning closing times have sometimes produced violent incidents and injuries to officers, and he cited a 2022 shooting in Saratoga Springs that occurred around 3 a.m. as an example of the risks associated with later closing times. “The hybrid solution of 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. is thoughtful,” Cole said, while urging the committee to consider public-safety impacts.
Chairman Michael Beach said the committee would move the item to the full Board and that the full Board and the public would have additional opportunities to comment at the advertised public hearing. The committee vote to set the hearing carried by a 7-2 tally.
The committee heard comments from multiple supervisors at the March 12 meeting. Some members signaled willingness to consider a rollback to 3 a.m. for the entire year after the public hearing if public comment or further Board discussion supports that change. The committee did not adopt a final local law on March 12; it only set the public hearing and advanced the item to the full Board.
