Saratoga Springs council keeps public hearing open on two alternate pay-change laws after extended public comment

Saratoga Springs City Council held a public hearing Jan. 21 on two alternate local laws proposing changes to elected officials’ pay, including a plan tied to a 33‑hour workweek and an alternative that would add a $15,000 mayoral stipend. After nearly an hour of public comment, the council left the hearing open for further input.

The two drafts are alternate local laws, meaning the council may adopt one or the other but not both. Assistant City Attorney Tony Izzo told attendees: "They are alternate proposals. The council may pass 1 or the other, but not both." The city asked speakers to limit remarks because five public hearings were scheduled that evening.

Several residents and civic speakers pressed differing views. Dave Buach of the Upstate Conservative Coalition criticized the 33‑hour figure that one draft uses to compute pay, saying it is misleading and tied to pension credit rather than actual hours worked. "The 33 hours doesn't mean anything," Buach said. Sam Brewer, who said he supports higher pay for the commission seats, urged the council to consider substantially larger compensation; he said pay should be "closer to $75,000 a year, if not more," and said he would accept up to $100,000. Otis Maxwell defended longtime commissioner Hank Kuczynski from characterizations that he is "out of the workforce," describing volunteer and consulting work since leaving private consulting.

Speakers raised ancillary questions the council said it will need to address if it pursues a pay change: whether pay should reflect differing workloads across departments, whether benefits (pension and health care) are part of the compensation discussion, and what "33 hours" is intended to measure. City officials repeatedly noted the proposals were still in the public‑hearing stage. The council chair instructed staff that the hearing would remain open for additional written or in‑person comments before any final vote.

No final vote took place Jan. 21; council members said they wanted more information and public feedback before deciding whether to adopt either local law or to modify the proposals. The hearing record will remain open for further testimony and written comment.

A copy of both alternate local laws and instructions for submitting comments are available from the city clerk’s office and on the city website.