The Costs

In year’s past, Charter Reform opponents would scream—it’s going to cost more! That’s simply not true. In fact, over the long-term, having a professional city manager who works hand-in-hand with the Mayor, City Council and city hall employees brings the promise of a more streamlined, cost-effective city government. It means putting your hard-earned tax dollars to work!

Click here for a quick overview of costs and spending!

In a nutshell, Charter Reform means:

• • Taxpayer savings of at least $100,000–five revolving deputies replaced by a City Manager, an Assistant City Manager and an Internal Auditor.
  • New government with a strong policy-driven Mayor, elected representation for our neighborhoods and a professional manager would bring about additional savings through cooperation and accountability as the City moves forward
  • The City can plan for the long-term with institutional memory built into city government and potentially save millions of dollars
  • A strong, internal audit function will help cut costs and find thousands in additional savings
  • There will no longer be expensive turnover costs when new Commissioners and/or Deputies are brought on board. Imagine a new Deputy Commissioner being paid over $77,000 just to learn the ropes only to be replaced by someone else in 24 months.
  • The ability to bring new technology to city government implemented by professionals who understand the City’s need and who can continue to streamline processes while saving substantial tax dollars.

Let’s look at what we’re spending right now.
Salary plus cost of benefits and city’s share of employee taxes

Let’s look at what we could be spending instead.
Salary plus cost of benefits (for Mayor and City Manager only) and city’s share of employee taxes

*To provide a little perspective on the City Manager salary:

• • The City’s Director of Planning’s annual salary is $152,558, with benefits and the city’s share of employee taxes: $236,465
  • The City Attorney’s salary is $136,000, with benefits and the city’s share of employee taxes: $210,800
  • The City’s Director of Finance’s annual salary is $141,293, with benefits and the city’s share of employee taxes: $219,004
  • The City’s Information Technology Director’s annual salary is $145,167, with benefits and the city’s share of employee taxes: $$225,008

The City Manager’s proposed salary is right in line with these other city professionals. On average, the City Manager–as the City’s chief operating officer–will be paid 15% more to manage the City’s operations and supervise the City’s workforce.

Did You Know?
Did you know that the City pays 100% of the health insurance for the Mayor and City Council—all part-time employees?

Did you know that if someone serves as a Commissioner or Mayor on the City Council for 10 years, the city then pays 100% of their health insurance for life as long as there’s no political in-fighting and all of the Commissioners all agree?

Did you know that Charter Reform means no more lifetime health insurance for part-time political positions saving the City hundreds of thousands of dollars?

It’s time to put petty politics aside and do what’s right for Saratoga Springs. We can save your hard-earned tax dollars while improving city services at the same time.

We’ve done our homework. We performed in-depth reviews of 13 northeastern municipalities with a professional manager and overviews of nine others. What we found were:

• • An experienced, professional municipal leader brings “teamwork” to local government and breaks down silos so that everyone works together effectively and efficiently.
  • Local government employees who know what their job is, how to work with other municipal departments and understand the importance of accountability and transparency.
  • Streamlined operations that save taxpayer dollars.
  • A professionally run government that listens to the community and plans for the future with an eye on capital and infrastructure projects that protect quality of life.