Steve Thurston (2021)
A view of Caroline Street in downtown Saratoga Springs.
Two committees of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors have approved a “home rule” policy statement that would allow localities to change the closing times of "establishments that serve alcohol." Currently, state law says counties determine the closing time for all establishments inside their borders. Saratoga County's closing time is 4 a.m.
The measure next moves to the full board on Dec. 15 where it may be added to the county’s legislative agenda. From there it would be presented to state lawmakers early next year, Tara Gaston, one of the city’s supervisors said. The measure is not draft legislation but a policy statement.
The measure would not change the closing hours, but would allow localities to do so, both Gaston and Supervisor Matt Veitch have said.
“The state would have to [make] the change in 'home rule' governance,” Gaston said.
Supervisor Matt Veitch agreed, saying that the measure, if it makes it onto the legislative agenda, would "urge the state to look at the liquor law, basically."
Both supervisors represent Saratoga Springs, and both won their bids for reelection in November.
The "Legislative and Research" and the "Law and Finance" committees passed the policy statement, Gaston said. Neither she nor Veitch, sit on those committees, though they were present at the discussions.
Last August, the Saratoga Springs board unanimously passed a resolution to close bars at 2a.m., but the resolution had no power unless passed by the county board of supervisors. Had the board approved it, all bars countywide would have to close at 2 a.m.
Mayor Meg Kelly, in an attempt to calm the violent, late-night activity in the bar-heavy Caroline Street section of downtown, championed the measure. She also worked with bar owners to self-regulate. Last summer saw stabbings, gun shots and a killing downtown late at night, though not necessarily after 2a.m.
Gaston said at the time that there was little support for the 2 a.m. change countywide. Veitch agreed in an interview today that a full change like that had little support.
On Tuesday Dec. 7 Gaston reiterated this to the city council, and Mayor Meg Kelly interrupted: "Did you support it, the 2 a.m. closing?"
"No," Gaston replied, and tried to say that the county board does not generally support that move.
Clearly frustrated, Kelly replied: "We can't get anything past the county if the city's supervisors aren't supporting it.”
Gaston argued that the “home rule” measure had more support generally and that it could be made "consistent with cannabis legislation."
She explained in a subsequent interview that a change in the state legislation could be written to allow a one-time change, similarly to the cannabis legislation which is allowing localities to opt out of cannabis sales. She added that, at most, the closing times would be changed infrequently, not with each election cycle or change of administration.
Also, minutes from the Legislative and Research committee show, the cannabis legislation has possibly opened a political doorway for more home rule of this nature.
Veitch said the cannabis angle in the debate over closing hours was "a way to reframe and rephrase the issue." This may be a political opening to give power to the locality, Veitch said.
"I support the actions that the county is taking," to offer more home rule, Veitch said in the interview, though he is not in favor of closing bars earlier.
"I think this is good," Commissioner Michele Madigan told Gaston at the city council meeting. Commissioner of Public Safety Robin Dalton agreed.
Editor's note: The lead paragraph of this story was modified for clarity after publication.