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Resident alleges commissioner mismanagement at Saratoga Springs meeting; commissioner denies role
Summary
During public comment John Kaufman alleged a commissioner used media coverage to shift focus after criticism and blamed that behavior for overtime overspending; a commissioner denied making or directing the calls and said they were unaware of the allegations.
John Kaufman, a Saratoga Springs resident, used the council's public-comment period to cite a Times Union story and accuse a council colleague of mismanaging the city's public-safety budget. "Saratoga Springs Police Fire overspent $900,000 in overtime comp time," Kaufman said, and he alleged the coverage followed criticism by a commissioner and represented an attempt to change the public narrative.
The accusation singled out a named commissioner in Kaufman's remarks, and he said that the commissioner’s budgeting choices "caused the overspending." Kaufman urged greater transparency and criticized a submitted policy and procedures manual as "impenetrable for the public."
After public comment, a commissioner responded, saying they had been contacted by a third party and denied initiating any media outreach or making comments about another official's cognitive condition. "I had not called her about any of the issues," the commissioner said, and added they were "not aware" of the claims the speaker raised.
Other residents used their time to thank outgoing commissioners. Alice Smith told the council she appreciated outgoing members Dylan Moran and Manita Sanghvi for their service and for supporting projects such as participatory budgeting. Otis Maxwell expressed similar thanks.
The council did not take any formal action on the allegations during the meeting; members moved on to scheduled agenda items after the responses.
