Ballston Spa trustees hold Jan. 2 special meeting, critics say timing violated Village Law; trustees approve slate of appointments

Ballston Spa’s Board of Trustees met in a special session on Jan. 2, 2025, to take up organizational business and a package of staff and board appointments that trustees ultimately approved despite public objections that the meeting’s timing conflicted with Village Law. Public commenters urged the board to hold its formal organizational meeting on the first Monday in January, and a planning board alternate who said he received no notice asked the board to improve communications.

The meeting drew criticism from multiple residents who said the session was advertised as an organizational meeting but scheduled for Jan. 2 — three days before the first Monday in January this year. “I was initially confused as I had the organizational meeting on my calendar for Monday, January 6, which, according to Village Law section 45‑9, states that [the organizational meeting] shall be held at 7 p.m. on the first Monday in the year,” said Liz Hornos, who identified herself during public comment. Hornos added that the published agenda and notices contributed to the confusion and called the change a “bait and switch.”

Keith Lewis, another public commenter, pressed the mayor on the apparent discrepancy between how the meeting was advertised and how it was titled, saying the agenda’s items matched what would normally appear at an organizational meeting and questioning the timing. “If it looks like a duck, and it walks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, mister mayor, it isn't a cow,” Lewis said.

Nathan Ward, who currently serves as an alternate on the planning board, told trustees he was not contacted before the agenda listed a replacement for his alternate seat. “I wasn't aware that there was reapplication open at this time. I don't see it on the website and wasn't emailed from the chairperson or anyone from this board about reapplying,” Ward said. He said he has attended most planning board meetings and asked the village to improve outreach to incumbents.

Mayor Rossi (identified in the record as “Mayor Rossi”) and other trustees responded that the village’s official year began on Jan. 1 and that the board wanted boards and committees to know their membership going into the new year. “The official year started, according to law, on 01/01/2025. And here we are,” Mayor Rossi said, explaining the decision to take appointments early to ensure continuity for boards that might meet soon after the new year.

Trustees briefly considered a motion to deem several consent‑agenda items organizational business and defer them until the organizational meeting scheduled for Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. That motion did not pass in the roll‑call sequence recorded during the meeting, with Trustee Baskin and Trustee Raymond recorded as voting yes and Trustee Von Danza and Trustee Price Bush recorded as voting no.

After further discussion the board moved to restore the full consent agenda and approved a slate of staff and board appointments and reappointments for terms expiring Dec. 31, 2025, in most cases. Among the approvals: Rebecca Littleby (listed as deputy bills clerk/records management officer) was reappointed; a group of part‑time police officers were appointed or reappointed for one‑year terms ending Dec. 31, 2025 (Eric Mueller; Michael D. Martino; Charles Fish; Michael Welch; Robert Kennedy; Stanley Belong; Hector Monge; Ariel Santiago; Kurt Nolan; James Redden); crossing guards Marvin Isabella and Doug Fuller were reappointed; Greg Esparza was reappointed as budget officer; and multiple planning‑board, zoning‑board and other advisory‑board appointments were approved, including Michael McNamara (planning board member, five‑year term ending Dec. 31, 2029) and several alternates and committee members with one‑ or three‑year terms ending Dec. 31, 2025 or 2027, as listed on the meeting agenda.

Trustees also approved a modest revision to the village rules of procedure clarifying regular meeting dates and the annual approval of the meeting schedule at the organizational meeting. The board voted to change the location of the Jan. 6, 2025, organizational meeting to 66 Front Street (and simultaneously list an alternate conference location and virtual access) and authorized the clerk to advertise the change.

The meeting record shows the board closed the session by approving the consent and adjournment motions. Several public commenters and at least one planning‑board alternate urged the board to adopt clearer notice practices and to follow Village Law section 45‑9 when scheduling organizational business in future years.

The board’s Jan. 6 organizational meeting remains scheduled for 7 p.m.; the board also set an additional regular meeting schedule during the session.