Courtesy photo (2021)
Stacy Connors was named Deputy Commissioner of Accounts.
Saratoga Springs' Commissioner-elect of Accounts, Dillon Moran, announced today that Stacy Connors will be the new Deputy Commissioner of Accounts starting officially Jan. 1, 2022. However, Connors started working today as deputy to the current commissioner, John Franck.
Franck has been without a deputy since Maire Masterson left the office. Her last day was earlier this month, but she used vacation time before leaving and has not been in the office since before Thanksgiving, Franck said.
This is the first announcement of new deputies. Four Democrats won seats on the Saratoga Springs City Council, and there has been some conflict as lame duck commissioners have moved to make personnel changes before leaving office.
The most notable is from Commissioner of Public Safety, Robin Dalton, who is moving to replace retiring Assistant Police Chief John Catone before he retires in January, and by the Commissioner of Finance, Michele Madigan, who is looking to replace outgoing head of Information Technology, Kevin Kling, with the current Deputy Mayor Lisa Shields.
[Read more about Safety here, and Finance here.]
Connor’s position comes with the full support of Franck, he said, and he is looking forward to the help in the waning days of his 16-year commissionership. She is being paid now, simply replacing Masterson. Budget transfers will not be needed, and since there was a gap in coverage, the department will save a little bit of money, Franck said.
"[John Franck has] been gracious enough to bring her on board," Moran said in an interview. “John has served our community quite well...This is just another example of John going above and beyond."
Ms. Connors served more than 14 years in staff leadership positions at the Iroquois Healthcare Association, Inc., a major coalition of hospitals and healthcare providers, the announcement says.
"Her organizational background in advocacy, communications, customer service and administration will benefit both the Accounts Department and the citizens of Saratoga Springs," Moran said in the statement.
"I am honored by both Commissioner Franck and Commissioner-elect Moran having the confidence in me to serve the citizens of Saratoga Springs, and I look forward to beginning work immediately," Connors said in the statement.
Moran said he interviewed five candidates for the position as part of what the Democrats called their open process to find deputies. All four called for applications at the start of December.
Moran has known Connors for “quite some time,” he said.
He said the pushback that the incoming commissioners are giving their outgoing counterparts is in part an attempt to “change that dynamic" that leads, Moran said, to poor choices of individuals in various City Hall positions.
Announcement for the other three deputies will likely be made jointly—"when everyone has made a decision later this month"—most likely after Christmas, said Mayor-elect Ronald Kim.