Water District Attorney Told To Resign

The town's water district attorney, Charles Sarris, has been told by members of the Troy City Council to produce a letter of resignation from his job in North Greenbush before tonight's Council meeting or he will not be confirmed as Corporation Council.

Apparently council members who occasionally glanced at the Pipeline became aware of the conflict of interest being permitted by having this attorney negotiate a water contract and rate with "himself" since he is both acting city Corporation Council and North Greenbush Special District's Attorney. (We're not sure which taxpayers got the best deal.) The audio of the town board meeting in which Mark Evers made a bit of a fool of himself by first excusing his inability to contact Sarris in time for him to sign off on the language of an agreement to sell water to Poestenkill and his inexplicable comment minutes later that Sarris has nothing to do with the contract because that would "be a conflict of interest", caused the ire of Troy council members.

They are also concerned about rumors that Sarris has been endorsed, behind the scenes, for the GOP nomination for one of the two contested judgeships this fall. He was not the one pushed by the Republican Committee for the immediate vacancy because all knew his confirmation hearing as Corporation Council would collide with the judicial appointment. However, it's a good bet council members will be asking him questions about his judicial plans at tonight's meeting in Troy.

We'll provide more details as we receive them.