The Charter Review Commission has released a report outlining proposed changes to the Saratoga Springs Charter — the document establishing the City of Saratoga Springs. 

The changes in this phase of the Charter Review Commission’s work only require a vote of the City Council; however, further recommendations could come that would require a referendum. 

The proposed changes will be presented by the Commission at the Jan. 20 City Council meeting. During the Jan. 6 City Council meeting, Mayor John Safford praised the work of the Commission, saying that they did “exactly what I asked them to do.” 

The Commission went title by title of the charter, looking for areas to improve upon. Of the 14 Titles in the Charter, only Titles one, nine and 13 didn’t receive any changes in the initial review. 

Here is a breakdown of all the changes recommended by the Commission. 

Title 2

Title 2 of the Charter, which establishes city offices, saw changes to the position of Supervisor, how vacancies are handled and the establishment of rules for City Council. 

Under the proposed changes, the language of the charter will no longer require two supervisors, instead establishing the number as “One or more,” depending on County Law. In addition, the supervisors will no longer be required at all meetings and are instead required to report at least quarterly to City Council. 

In terms of conduct of City Council, under the proposed changes, the mayor would be required to present rules on how City Council conducts business at the start of a new term. Those rules would have to be approved by the City Council by the third meeting, or the rules revert to the previous year. 

In addition to rules of order, the Commission recommended establishing a new section of Title 2 specifically dictating that all departments establish policies and procedures regarding Freedom of Information. 

The final, and most contested recommendation came in regard to vacancies on City Council. Under the new policy, City Council has 70-90 days to call for a special election if the vacancy is over 180 days away from a general election. If the vacancy occurs less than 180 days away from a general election, then the special election can occur concurrently with the general election. The measure was recommended by a vote of 7-4. 

Title 3

Title 3, which establishes the mayor’s office, saw some minor changes. Some of these changes had to do with updates to the Charter, reflecting previously established changes to names and city codes. It also changed the requirement for comprehensive plan review to take place once every 10 years rather than every five. 

The other notable change was the official establishment of the position of City Historian, replacing the section on public information in the charter. 

Title 4 

Changes to how the city manages finances were also recommended. Under the proposed changes, the Finance Commissioner is no longer required to conduct annual random audits, instead requiring audits be done when deemed necessary. Audits of the Finance Department would also be required to be undertaken by an independent auditor designated by City Council. 

The Commission also recommended formally strengthening language in the charter that establishes repercussions for those who make illegal payments, establishing that those who make illegal payments may be subject to removal. Another notable change was the requirement that all budget transfer requests have a written explanation — rather than just those which exceed 10% of the budget. 

The final provision recommended in Title 4 is the establishment of an IT Administrator to oversee all information technology in the city and to establish a policy manual. 

Title 5 

Only minor changes were made to Title 5, which establishes the Public Works Department. Such changes include changes to language and clarification of the duties of the department. 

Title 6 

The most notable change to Title Six of the charter was the formal establishment of the Civilian Review Board. The purpose of the board is to review grievances made against the Police Department. This board was previously established by City Council and had its first meeting in May 2025. 

In addition to the Civilian Review Board, minor changes were made with updated language reflecting state law. 

Title 7 

The most proposed changes came to Title 7, which governs the Accounts Department. Under the proposed changes, the role of the City Assessor was almost completely rewritten with stronger requirements for training and certification of those who carry out the role and clarification regarding how assessments are to be carried out. 

The other change to the Accounts Department is the establishment of the position of Risk and Safety Administrator to oversee insurance matters within the city and establish a policy and procedures manual for all city departments to follow. 

Title 8 

Only one change was made to Title 8 of the Charter, which deals with legal matters. Under the proposed change, contracts with outside lawyers will now require prior approval from City Council before any services are rendered. 

Title 11 

Title 11, which deals with contracts, saw two changes and clarifications. The first was a raising of the threshold for requiring bids. Under the proposed change, the threshold for a public works project needing a notice of bids will go from $20,000 to $35,000 while the bid threshold for a purchase contract will go from $10,000 to $20,000. In addition, the selection of bids will conform to state law rather than just the lowest bidder. 

Next Steps

Mayor Safford said that the Commission will continue to review the charter and will possibly recommend larger ones down the road. As for whether these changes will be considered by City Council soon, he said that the Council will discuss the proposed changes and may or may not implement them. 

Saratoga County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Brown is proud to announce George R. Maxfield as his undersheriff. Brown will rely on Maxfield as his second-in-command and key confidant. Maxfield will stand in for the Sheriff when he is unavailable for meetings, events or incidents and play a pivotal role in his leadership team. 

“Having George Maxfield as my undersheriff will ensure we continue to have the best county sheriff’s office possible to serve the residents of and visitors to our great county,” Brown stated. “His breadth of experience, from corrections officer to village police officer, to deputy sheriff, K-9 handler, investigator, sergeant, senior investigator and captain along with his recent graduation from the prestigious FBI National Academy, makes him a highly qualified choice for undersheriff. I am excited to see what we can accomplish together.” 

Maxfield began his career with the Sheriff’s Office in 1998 as a corrections officer. That same year he was also hired as a patrolman for the Village of Corinth Police Department. In March 2000 he transferred to the Sheriff’s Office’s Road Patrol Division. During his tenure as a deputy sheriff, he also served in specialized roles within the agency’s K9 and narcotics units. In January 2016, he was promoted to sergeant, where he was a supervisor on all three shifts. In May 2017, he advanced to the rank of investigator, also serving as a crime scene specialist, fire investigator, and crisis negotiator. In June 2021, he was promoted to senior investigator, where he directly supervised the Narcotics Unit, assisted in overseeing the Criminal Investigations Division, and played a key role in managing complex and high-level investigations. 

In October 2023, Maxfield was promoted to captain and assumed command of the Office of Professional Standards. In this capacity, he was responsible for agency accreditation, training for the Road Patrol Division, and internal investigations across all divisions of the Sheriff’s Office. In March 2025, he graduated from the 293rd session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va. — one of the world’s premier law enforcement leadership programs — marking a significant professional achievement in his career. Maxfield is only the fourth member in the history of the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office to complete this prestigious program. 

Beyond his professional service, Maxfield has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to community service, having previously volunteered with the Halfmoon-Waterford Fire Department and the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Emergency Corps. Please congratulate him on this well-deserved appointment.

On January 3, 2026, State Police of Wilton arrested Sarah Z. Davis, 33, of Albany, for felony 2nd degree robbery, felony third degree criminal mischief, misdemeanor 3rd degree assault and two counts of misdemeanor 4th degree criminal mischief.  

Zachary J. Bryant, 31 of Albany, NY, was also arrested for Obstructing Governmental Administration 2nd and False Personation.

On January 3, 2026, at about 10:25 p.m., troopers responded to a hang-up 911 call originating from a residence in Northumberland. During the investigation, a victim was located with a facial injury. Further investigation discovered that Davis was reportedly involved in an altercation with the victim. During the altercation, Davis allegedly forcibly took property from the victim, prevented them from calling 911, damaged property belonging to the victim, and injured the victim. Bryant was present during the investigation and provided false identifying information, hindering it, as he had an active warrant for his arrest.

Davis and Bryant were arrested at the scene and transported to SP Wilton for processing. Bryant was issued an appearance ticket returnable to the Northumberland Town Court on February 2, 2026, and then released to the Menands Police Department for the active arrest warrant. Davis was arraigned at the Wilton Town Court, where she was remanded to the Saratoga County Correctional Facility in lieu of $1,000 cash, $2,000 bond, or a $10,000 partially secured bond.

toga County Career Center in conjunction with the Greater Capital Region Career Centers will hold the following free virtual career workshops during January:

Jan. 7 at 10 a.m. & Jan. 8 at 10:30 a.m.: Resume Development – This workshop presents the basics of a powerful and effective cover letter including formatting, tailoring to the job, and getting through the online application process to land an interview. Please have a rough draft of your resume with you.

Jan. 8 at 11 a.m.: Essential Skills for Success in Any Workplace – Join this workshop to learn about the skills that are most valued by business leaders yet are underdeveloped in employees. Learn why these skills are critically important, how to develop them, and the influence of AI.

Jan. 9 at 11 a.m. & Jan. 15 at 1:30 p.m.: Transferable Skills – Make it easy for employers to see the connection between your qualities and the skillset needed to do the job and market yourself as the solution to an employer’s problem.

Jan. 12 at 10 a.m.: Broadview Financial Well-Being – Find out how to organize what you make, spend, and save; set goals to save up, spend down, look ahead; harness the power of mindful spending; and identify budget tactics that work best for you.

Jan. 13 at 10:30 a.m.: Interview Preparation – Learn how to articulate your strengths, what questions to expect, how to address difficult topics, and ace the interviewing process.

Jan. 14 at 10 a.m. & Jan. 27 at 1:30 p.m.: Goal Setting – In this workshop, we will explain how goal setting works, why goals are important, and take home more helpful resources to get you started.

Jan. 14 at 10:30 a.m.: Civil Service – This session will cover essential steps to secure a civil service job, focusing on the hiring process. Participants will learn about competitive examinations, local government positions, and how to prepare for them.

Jan. 15 at 11 a.m. & Jan. 20 at 10:30 a.m.: Completing Job Applications – Learn how to prepare your online application to get the most visibility from hiring managers.

Jan. 16 at 10:30 a.m. & Jan. 28 at 10:30 a.m.: Networking – Join us for an approachable journey to understanding networking.

Jan. 22 at 1:30 p.m.: Social Media – Learn how to use social media to your advantage in searching for a job and marketing yourself to land the job or career you’ve always wanted.

Jan. 27 at 11 a.m.: Overcoming Barriers – Join an informal discussion about how to overcome potential stumbling blocks to finding a job.

Registration is required for all workshops. Visit www.saratogacountyny.gov/workforce to register.

On December 26, 2025, State Police arrested Richard J. Marcella, 61, of Ballston, NY, for Assault 2nd and Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3rd.

On December 26, 2025, at about 10:30 p.m., Troopers responded to a home in Ballston for the report of an altercation with a weapon. The investigation determined that Marcella was in a verbal altercation with a known neighbor when he allegedly stabbed the victim in the arm and hand with a knife. The victim was transported to Saratoga Hospital for treatment of their non-life-threatening stab wounds.

Marcella was arrested at the scene and transported to SP Saratoga for processing. He was then arraigned at the Malta Town Court, where he was remanded to the Saratoga County Correctional Facility without bail.

On December 21, 2025, State Police of Saratoga arrested Kevin R. Kelly, 35, of Ballston Spa, NY, and Nicholas J. Murtlow, 36, of Middle Grove, NY, each for:

o Burglary 2nd, a class “C” felony

o Conspiracy 4th, a class “E” felony

o Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 5th, a class “A” misdemeanor

o Possession of Burglar Tools, a class “A” misdemeanor

Murtlow was also charged with a vehicle and traffic law violation.

On December 21, 2025, at approximately 1:55 p.m., Troopers responded to a home on Rowland Street in Milton for reports of suspicious activity. On arrival, Murtlow and Kelly were located on the property actively removing items from a house and placing them in a vehicle. The investigation determined that neither man had permission to enter the home or to remove items that did not belong to them. Further investigation discovered a burglar tool in the vehicle the pair were using.

Murtlow and Kelly were arrested at the scene and transported to SP Saratoga for processing. Both were arraigned at the Milton Town Court. Kelly was remanded to the Saratoga County Correctional facility in lieu of $10,000 cash, $20,000 bond, or a $100,000 partially secured bond. Murtlow was remanded to the Saratoga County Correctional facility without bail.