JANUARY 9, 2025|
Photo – Saratoga Town Council – Courtesy Town of Saratoga
The Saratoga town council is considering holding a single monthly meeting.
In November, Saratoga Mayor Chuck Davis proposed reducing the number of monthly council meetings from two to one. Mayor Davis explained that town hall staff believes that all business can be effectively handled in a single meeting.
“The council agreed to wait until the new year before changing the meeting schedule, giving the newly elected council members an opportunity to share their opinions.”
That time has come. During Tuesday’s Saratoga town council meeting, Mayor Davis administered the oath of office to the newest council member, Cory Oxford.
Oxford joins the governing body alongside reelected council members Mike Cooley and Bub Barkhurst, as well as Councilman Jerry Fluty and Mayor Davis, whose terms have not expired.
Mayor Davis presented a draft ordinance to reduce the number of monthly town council meetings. The mayor asked the current council members to review the ordinance and share their opinions at a later council meeting.
Mayor Davis reiterated that town hall staff believe a single monthly meeting will not cause billing issues. The only question, the mayor said, is which day of the month the meeting should take place. Currently, Saratoga holds its town council meetings on the first and third Tuesday of every month. Mayor Davis said he would like to avoid scheduling conflicts with the town’s other boards and commissions.
Town employees are paid twice a month. A representative from the Rawlins Times asked if the town can legally pay its employees without holding a public meeting. Mayor Davis explained that, like utility payments, staff salaries are processed without the need for a vote. The council simply ratifies the payments at a later date.
The Saratoga town council must pass an ordinance to change its meeting schedule, requiring three readings of the new ordinance during three separate public meetings. If approved, Mayor Davis said the new ordinance will be unlikely to take effect until March of this year.
