New Lebanon council narrows village manager search, raises nepotism and legal concerns and schedules interviews

New Lebanon — At a March 3 work session, the Village Council reviewed 13 applications for the village manager post and moved to the next step of interviews while airing concerns about family ties and lawsuits tied to some applicants.

Vice Mayor Cooper, who led the packet review, said she based recommendations on a weighted rubric — communication (40 percent), government knowledge (20 percent), accuracy (20 percent), problem solving (10 percent), organization (5 percent) and local knowledge (5 percent) — and named three top scorers: "Melissa" (95 percent), Jeff Carter (80 percent) and Pete Hager (75 percent). She told colleagues that one out-of-state applicant was excluded for misstating local population figures.

Several council members said local knowledge and continuity matter. Council member Wilder pointed to an internal candidate’s track record of attendance and institutional familiarity, noting that Shannon (the interim village manager and clerk) had helped recover $365,000 in back taxes and stabilized village operations. "Shannon has brought stability to the village office," he said. Supporters argued that an in‑town candidate could be trained on technical municipal topics.

Others warned about optics and legal exposure. Multiple speakers raised concerns about perceived cronyism if a council member’s family member were appointed; one councilor noted that the candidate’s relative is married into a council household and said that would likely "look bad" to the public. Allegations about another applicant, identified in the discussion as Steven Wolf, included multiple lawsuits and a reported sexual‑harassment claim; members said those reports made him a poor fit.

Council members also discussed legal limits on residency requirements. One participant summarized the charter and state constraints, saying a practical rule often applied is a one‑year residency expectation but that state constitutional law prevents imposing arbitrary residency rules for appointments.

No hiring decision was made. The council agreed to schedule candidate interviews, consider using an executive session for deliberations or interviews, and possibly engage a headhunter to widen the pool. The clerk or village attorney confirmed that if the council identified a preferred finalist staff would prepare a contract for later council approval and then negotiate terms.

A motion to end the work session carried on a recorded voice vote; all present voted yes. The council planned follow‑up interviews and at least one executive session before making a final appointment.

Why it matters: The village manager position directs daily municipal operations and budgeting. Council members framed the choice as a balance between local knowledge and formal municipal experience, while public trust and potential litigation risk shaped the debate.