NOVEMBER 7, 2024|
Photo – Saratoga Town Hall – Bigfoot99 file photo
The governing body of Saratoga is considering moving to a single meeting each month. A decision will be left up to the newly elected council members.
Tuesday’s election has changed the makeup of the Saratoga town council. Sitting council member Mike Cooley will stay on board for another four years. Cooley will be joined by newcomer Cory Oxford, who will take Kathy Beck’s former seat in January. Bub Barkhurst, who is serving the remainder of Jacob Fluty’s term following the council member’s death in February, will serve for another two years.
The council roster isn’t the only thing that may change in the new year. During Tuesday’s Saratoga town council meeting, Mayor Chuck Davis, who is serving until 2027, proposed holding one meeting a month instead of two. Mayor Davis said the town hall staff believes that all business can be effectively handled in a single meeting.
To change the number of monthly council meetings, Mayor Davis said an ordinance amendment will be needed, requiring three readings during three separate public hearings. The mayor said the decision is ultimately in the hands of the governing body.
Mayor Davis encouraged the council members to speak to town hall staff and learn more about the pros and cons of a single monthly meeting. The proposal could potentially halve the cost of advertising meetings and publishing minutes in the local newspaper.
Yesterday morning, Mayor Davis told Bigfoot99 that the town spent $28,568.50 on newspaper advertising during the 2023 through 2024 fiscal year. By reducing the number of monthly meetings, the town will also save on council member salaries. Currently, Saratoga council members are paid $50 per session.
Back at Tuesday’s meeting, Councilwoman Kathy Beck suggested that the decision should be left up to the newly elected governing body. Mayor Davis agreed, saying he simply wanted people to consider the proposal.
Speaking to Bigfoot99 yesterday morning, Mayor Davis acknowledged that a single monthly meeting would require additional special meetings to cover urgent topics, such as the yearly budget. The mayor said the money saved by switching to one meeting a month could be used for improvement projects around town.
Of the ten municipalities in Carbon County, only Rawlins, Sinclair, and Saratoga hold two meetings a month.
