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The Schenectady City Council has elected Carl Williams as its new president, ending more than a month of governmental gridlock following a contentious legal battle over council membership.
Williams was appointed by a 4-1 vote on Thursday evening (February 5), allowing the council to finally begin addressing city business that had been delayed due to the previously vacant leadership position.
"We want to get rolling as soon as possible, not wasting another moment," Williams stated after his election, as reported by NEWS10. "I encourage everyone to come out and just make your voice heard."
The council's ability to elect a president had been stalled by a dispute over the appointment of Justin Chaires to a vacant council seat. Mayor Gary McCarthy had filed a temporary restraining order in December to block Chaires from joining the council, claiming procedural issues with his appointment.
On Monday (February 3), State Supreme Court Justice Michael Cuevas resolved the standoff by ordering that Chaires be "immediately seated as a member of the Schenectady City Council with all the rights and privileges of that office," according to court documents obtained by the Times Union.
The mayor had argued that the council's process for selecting Chaires was flawed and that the seat should remain vacant due to the city's hiring freeze amid fiscal challenges. However, Justice Cuevas's ruling affirmed the council's authority in the matter.
Following the court decision, Chaires took his seat on the council, providing the necessary votes to break the deadlock over the council presidency. Prior to his appointment, neither Williams nor Councilwoman Doreen Ditoro had secured the four votes required to win the leadership position.
With Williams now at the helm, the council plans to tackle several pressing issues. "Some things have been delayed a little bit, so the next couple of weeks will be a little bit of a heavier load in terms of resolution," Mayor McCarthy acknowledged to CBS6 Albany.
Williams outlined the council's immediate priorities, which include reviewing the city's trash and food policy, housing task force initiatives, and allocation of economic recovery funding for small businesses. The council will also address several open contracts, including negotiations with the Schenectady Fire Department's Local 28 Union.
In addition to electing Williams as president, the council voted to designate Samantha Mykoo as the new city clerk and the Daily Gazette as the city's official newspaper.
The council has scheduled a special meeting for Monday (February 10) to begin working through the backlog of city business.