Saratoga News

Commission gets a civics lesson when organizing candidate forum

Fearing potential conflicts, council nixes sponsorship

Sponsor is being sought

By Sarah Lombardo

Saratoga Youth Commissioners learned something about politics when they took a proposal to the City Council recently: Sometimes even good ideas get shot down. The commissioners had made plans to sponsor a forum for City Council candidates on Oct. 15. Letters were sent to candidates; the location for the forum was decided on and reserved; and Youth Commission members prepared to address the council about their plans.

But when members spoke to the council Sept. 22 and asked for consent, they were surprised at what they were told.

The City Council said no.

"It was a little frustrating," commission chairman Alex Scordelis said.

According to Saratoga Mayor Don Wolfe, councilmembers feared that the sponsorship of a candidates forum by a city commission might not give a desired impression to city residents and voters--especially with an incumbent councilmember, who helped appoint the commissioners, running for office. Councilmember Gillian Moran, Finance Commissioner Nick Streit and residents Erna Jackman, Evan Baker and John Mehaffey are all vying for three available seats on the council in November.

"Mainly, the precedent that it would set for an official body of the city sponsoring a forum could lead to complications shouldthe other commissions want to get involved," Wolfe said. "It's the specter of a conflict of interest that the city is trying to avoid."

But Wolfe said the council's disapproval of the forum didn't mean it wasn't a good idea.

"We were very pleased at their civic-mindedness, at the same time," he said. "It was a tough call because they were so enthusiastic about getting involved."

In a memo to the City Council dated Sept. 18, City Manager Larry Perlin explained it this way: "Clearly the possibility exists that such an effort could be perceived in the community as an effort by city staff or the City Council to sway opinions about issues and particular candidates," Perlin wrote. "Instead, I suggested that the commission seek an independent entity, not at all affiliated with the city, to sponsor the forum."

Scordelis said the commission has been in contact with a number of local organizations, such as the League of Women Voters, to ask for sponsorship of the forum, planned for Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Saratoga Senior Center on Allendale Avenue.

[ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ]