Are there two Dillon Morans?
On February 8, 2023, Saratoga Springs Accounts Commissioner Dillon Moran warmly endorsed his fellow Democratic City Council members on his Facebook page. He portrays himself as a happy member of the team. One would assume that they enjoyed great respect from him for their work on the Council. But this enthusiastic endorsement is in sharp contrast to other comments Moran has made about his Democratic teammates-particularly Mayor Ron Kim and Public Safety Commissioner James Montagnino.
Moran's endorsement:
What Does He Really Think?
Consider what was revealed in papers submitted by the attorney representing Marilyn Rivers, the city's Director of Risk and Safety, in her complaint against the city for creating a hostile workplace:
This is just a taste of what Rivers revealed about Moran's unflattering characterization of his colleagues and, in particular, Mayor Kim, James Montagnino, and Finance Commissioner Minita Sanghvi. (I will be posting in detail about the Rivers charges at a later date). Creepy best describes his depiction of these people.
The Private Moran vs. The Public Moran
And then there is this:
On February 1, 2023, I sent the following email to Commissioner Dillon Moran to confirm a conversation I had had with him regarding the violation of the city's purchasing policy by Mayor Ron Kim and Public Safety Commissioner James Montagnino.
Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today. I just wanted to confirm some of the things we talked about.
I was pleased to hear that you considered the process of awarding a contract to E Stewart Jones’ firm was an egregious violation of the city’s purchasing policies and, if not challenged, poses an ongoing threat to the city’s financial controls. I respect your approach to dealing with this as expressed in our phone conversation.
You told me that at the February 7, 2023, City Council meeting you would bring a resolution forward that would ask Kim and Montagnino to acknowledge that the city violated its purchasing policy and that if they declined to acknowledge the error, that you would need to seek an outside authority for assistance. You told me that you would seek the assistance of the New York State Comptroller to keep this from happening again.
Email to Moran on February 1, 2023
Given my previous experiences with Moran, in the conversation to which this email refers, I made it clear to him that this time any remarks he made would be on the record.
My experience with Commissioner Moran is that there is a disconnect between what he tells me in private and what he actually says and does in public.
Contrast the email above to the meeting at which he had assured me he would confront his colleagues on their violations of the city's purchasing policies.
It Doesn't Get Any Uglier
The following is an email sent by Mayor Kim to Moran.
Just Politics?
I know that some may dismiss Commissioner Moran's behavior as shrewd political maneuvering and admire his moves to play both sides, but I am old school, I prefer my officeholders to say what they mean and mean what they say.
