Morning Read: A revolving door in Saranac Lake?

Chris Knight has a piece in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, detailing plans by the Saranac Lake village board to appoint one of their own out-going members, John McEneany, to a paid position with the village fire department.

[Village Mayor Clyde] Rabideau acknowleged that some village residents might raise questions about the board appointing one of its members to a village job, but he said McEneany “went through the normal channels.”

“I understand people will say, ‘Well, what’s going on?’ but he applied for the position,” Rabideau said. “I think he was the only local person to apply. I think he’s a good, solid candidate and will be a very dedicated and solid fire truck driver.”

Complicating this story is the fact that in his role as trustee, McEneany played a prominent role in negotiating with the local fire squad. Knight also details the fact that McEneany’s business is in financial difficulties

Knight goes on to note that this kind of decision isn’t unique in the community.

Two months after he lost his re-election bid to McEneany in 2002, [current village manager John] Sweeney was appointed village manager. He held the post until 2007, when he resigned after he wasn’t reappointed by then-Mayor Tom Michael, only to be rehired as manager by the current board in April 2010.

In April 2001, then-mayor and current trustee Tom Catillaz appointed Paul Herrmann as village attorney, just days after Herrmann lost his re-election bid for a third term on the board.

What do you think?  Is this just the natural flow of hiring, volunteering and politicking in a small town — the sort of thing that goes on all over the North Country?  Or does it raise alarms?

(Disclosure note:  My wife, Susan Waters, was a village trustee in Saranac Lake until 2010 and served on the board with McEneany.)

Tags: adirondacks, politics