Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Cathy DeDe, Chronicle Managing Editor
Former Lake George Mayor Bob Blais stepped down as of December 31 as the special events director for the Town and Village of Lake George and for Warren County events in Lake George, particularly at the Charles R. Wood Park.
He was being paid $35,000 per year from Occupancy Tax funds — $15,000 through the Village, $15,000 through the County, which co-own Wood Park, and $5,000 through the Town of Lake George.
Current Mayor Ray Perry plans to take over coordinating events, with help from his assistant, he tells The Chronicle.
He suggests he receive an additional $25,000 per year from those funds, above his current salary of $50,000.
He said another $5,000 of the funds would go to his assistant and events coordinator, and that the remaining $5,000 be set aside for Department of Public Works overtime costs related to events.
Mayor Perry tells The Chronicle, “I will be forthright with my defense of a raise.
“This is a full time position,” he said of being mayor. “It literally takes all of my time. Initially I was going to continue doing telecommunications and real estate easement work, but there just simply isn’t time. I could devote 60 hours a week to this position.”
“I think $75,000 a year is not a terrible salary, especially when a third of it is generated from Occupancy Tax. It’s not on the backs of the taxpayers.”
An amended intermunicipal agreement to accomplish the shift is with Warren County Attorney Larry Elmen for review.
County Administrator John Taflan told The Chronicle it has to go through committee and a vote of the full board.
He said it’s likely to be approved.
The funding is included in this year’s Village budget, which will have a public hearing at its organizational meeting, this Monday, April 7, at 4:30 p.m.
Mayor Perry tells The Chronicle the Village Board decided separately to give each current employee a $2 an hour raise in this year’s budget “to keep employee retention.”
The mayor said that while the year-round Village population is small — just over 1,000 residents — it grows “to tens of thousands” in-season and that he oversees a $13 million annual budget.
While by law Occupancy Tax funds cannot to be used for salaries, Mayor Perry said, “If it is an inter-municipal agreement, it’s a contract,” which is allowable.
He said of the DPW overtime portion, “In my opinion, while such events benefit the taxpayer, the cost shouldn’t be paid for completely by the Village taxpayer.”
Mayor Blais long said that half his time was spent organizing events. He suggested the events position in part to ease Mayor Perry’s transition as he took over as the Village’s first new Mayor in 52 years, he told The Chronicle at the time.
When Mr. Blais resigned it at the end of last year, he was about halfway into the three-year intermunicipal agreement that had created the new position.
Mayor Perry said of Mr. Blais, “He’s still a phone call away for any assistance, questions or history lessons. Usually it’s a history lesson with me.”
He says, “The County assumed that I was going to take up the reins of where Bob left off, and at their request and the request of the Village Board, I will.”
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