The City of Little Falls held a special council meeting on Tuesday night, to approve two resolutions to schedule public hearings. One for a water and sewer rate increase (Resolution #47), and the other (Resolution #48) for changing the City Treasurer from elected to appointed.
The council scheduled both public hearings for June 3, 2025, to gather community input before a referendum on the City Treasurer issue appears on the general election ballot.
The move comes as the city grapples with a shrinking population and a lack of qualified candidates willing to run for the elected role, which requires residency within City limits.
Mayor Deborah Kaufman emphasized the urgency of the change, citing the City’s financial complexities and the need for a highly qualified treasurer. “We are in the position financially as a City that we don’t have time to fool around. I cannot bring somebody in who is not qualified,” Kaufman said.
She noted that the current treasurer, Sarah George, plans to reduce her hours and relocate to the town of Manheim, rendering her ineligible to continue in an elected capacity due to residency requirements.
Kaufman commented that an appointed position would allow the city to recruit from surrounding areas, stating, “If it’s appointed, then we have the geographic flexibility to be able to draw from adjoining communities.”
Alderman Jonathan Shaffer, who previously opposed a similar referendum in 2021, expressed support for the change, acknowledging the City’s dire situation. “I’m pretty sure, this time, I’m in favor of it because of our situation,” Shaffer said.
He stressed the importance of public outreach to ensure the referendum’s success, noting, “We need to get out there… and let them know exactly what’s going on and what we need.”
Both Kaufman and Shaffer highlighted the need for a treasurer with strong accounting skills, citing examples of other municipalities like Amsterdam and Glens Falls that have successfully adopted appointed treasurers to navigate financial challenges.
Kaufman plans to leverage media, including podcasts and print, to articulate the benefits of the change, reflecting on the 2021 rejection: “The ’21 rejection to me was not articulated strongly enough, the positives of going in that direction.”
The final Resolution #49 was for signing the contract for the Membrane Filtration Quotation from Koester Associates.
All three resolutions passed unanimously.
You can watch the meeting on YouTube, on the City website, or view it below.