Mayoral candidate Gordon Boyd, a Democrat, has questioned the content of invitations to Mayor Valerie Keehn’s Jan. 25 fundraiser at Sargo’s.
In recent days, a number of city property owners have received invitations to a political fundraiser for Mayor Keehn. These solicitations direct all responses to Ms. Nancy Goldberg, the new chair of the zoning board of appeals. Some of the ‘invitees’ have expressed their concern to me: If they don’t give money, will they be given fair consideration before the zoning board in the future? Boyd asked in a written statement to media last week.
It’s a reasonable question, Boyd said. Compliance with the city’s codes and comprehensive plan must be the standard whenever the zoning or planning boards, or the design review commission, hear an appeal or petition from a property owner. But the city’s zoning, planning and design requirements are complex, and susceptible to interpretation by the board members, said Boyd.
`Applicants must feel confident that their requests will be dealt with free of any appearance of political bias or favoritism,` said Boyd. `I believe it is inappropriate for members of these boards to be involved in soliciting political money for city council members, or for candidates for these offices.`
Boyd proposes the city ethics code be amended to prohibit members of the zoning board of appeals, the city planning board, and the design review commission from soliciting campaign funds for members of ` or candidates for ` the city council.
`The coercive and corrosive effect of such solicitations should be obvious,` he said. `They look bad. They cast a shadow over these boards’ decisions. They discredit the hard work that other board members are applying to their responsibilities. I believe this proposal will give the public greater confidence that our regulatory boards will objectively interpret the regulations and not use politics as the basis for their decisions.`
Keehn dismisses Boyd’s accusations as nothing but grandstanding. `She was soliciting nothing but people’s names,` said Keehn of Goldberg. `There’s nothing to this.`
Keehn said Boyd’s press release was an attempt to `make something out of nothing` and `draw attention to himself.`
More than 100 people attended Keehn’s fundraiser, including Johanna Dushlek, co-chair of the Saratoga Seniors Committee.
`It was really great to see all of the support for Mayor Keehn tonight,` she said.
Keehn said she was thrilled at the turnout, but said she’s no closer to making a decision to run.
`This is what I needed to see,` she said, but added, `I’m going to have to wait and see. Everyone’s giving me a different piece of advice every day.`
Keehn said she sees a split in the city’s Democratic Party, but not necessarily between her and mayoral candidate Gordon Boyd ` but between those who support her and those who support longtime Public Works Commissioner Thomas McTygue. The rift goes back to 2005, she said, when party members split between Keehn and her opponent, Hank Kuczynski.
McTygue backed Kuczynski in the primary and has been a critic of Keehn’s since she entered office, saying that in his 32-year career, he has never had the difficulty working with a mayor that he has had with Keehn.
Keehn said she has tried to extend olive branches to that side of the party, but to no avail.
`I’ve made overtures to many of them,` she said, `but I’m not sure that there’s anything that can be done inside the party.`
Keehn, a 48-year-old special education teacher, was part of a Democratic slate that won all seven elective offices in the city during the November 2005 elections. If Keehn runs, it would mark the second time she would face a challenge for the Democratic Committee endorsement. If Keehn decides not to run, the money raised from the fundraiser would go to a like-minded `progressive reform` candidate in the mold of Keehn, Gov. Eliot Spitzer and U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, Deputy Mayor Eileen Finneran said.“