CLIFTON PARK — The ball has been in Clifton Park Town Supervisor Phil Barrett’s court each election cycle for more than two decades. He’s now at a political crossroads.
“I think that’s human nature when you’ve been in a position for a long period of time that it would become a little bit more difficult to make the decision,” said Barrett. “Again, that might not be true for everybody, but for me it is.”
Barrett, a Republican, said he expects to decide whether he’ll run for re-election after talking to his wife.
The 55-year-old supervisor has faced a roller coaster year in town politics, in which Republican dissenters on the council as well as town employees allegedly worked together to create controversies aimed at placing Barrett in a negative light. Notably, Barrett’s foes spread stories alleging Barrett flouted COVID-19 quarantine protocols and was emotionally abusive toward town employees.
Barrett said that the controversy hasn’t taken an emotional toll on him and described his re-election introspection as a separate matter. In Clifton Park, town officials are elected every two terms.
“Every time it gets harder — the decision gets harder, not easier,” said Barrett. “I certainly never expected to be here, you know, 12 terms, but as I tell youngsters all the time that I talked, you never know where life is gonna take you and always be prepared.”
The Washington, D.C.-born Barrett spent much of his life residing across the country before arriving in what was a more thinly populated Clifton Park. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1989 to 1996, and worked in banking up until the supervisor’s post became a full-time position in 2011.
Barrett first won the role in 1999, defeating three-time Democratic supervisor candidate Martin O’Connor by 800 votes on election night. Without specifying, Barrett said that he has again and again had the opportunity to run for other public offices, but instead decided to continue his work with the town and the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors.
In a recent interview, Barrett touted efforts to expand the town’s park system, create new trail access and bolster development around Adirondack Northway Exit 9, the latter initiative has been on the town supervisor’s platform for 20 years.
“I am very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish over the years,” Barrett said. “In 2022, we were able to accomplish a great deal despite the constant efforts of some who abused their office and subsequently resigned.”
Board members Amy Flood and Amy Standaert stepped down three months ago and were replaced by appointees Agatha Reid and Chris O’Hara, who plan on running for the unexpired terms come November.
Also involved in the situation was Highway Superintendent Dahn Bull, who has continued to stand his ground. Bull, also a Republican, confirmed in an email that he will run again, citing his experience working with other departments, developers and utility installers and upgraded field practices.
“We hire trained, certified and capable individuals that arrive on the job day one ready for anything we face,” Bull said in an email. “I want to keep this formula for success going. It’s important that the highway superintendent remains dedicated to the residents of this town and I plan on continuing that.”
He expects to face a primary.
Town counsel Thomas McCarthy accused Bull of sending an email to an administrative assistant that was “inappropriate, abusive, toxic and creates a clearly hostile work environment.” Bull has denied having a negative relationship with the town employee in question.
Barrett said that the town expects to soon release an internal report on the internal hostility in municipal government.
Newly-minted Clifton Park Democratic Committee Chairman Ram Mohan Lalukota eyes an opening for his party as a result of the controversy earlier this year, voter enrollment, as well as the novelty of Reid and O’Hara.
He hopes to have some Democratic candidates out petitioning within the coming weeks.
“People need some motivation and it is not easy to step up, but there is hope,” Lalukota said. “It is in the process.”
When Barrett entered office, Republicans outnumbered Democrats 2 to 1. Despite a shift favoring Democrats for the first time in 2021, Barrett was re-elected with 67 percent of the vote to Democrat Melissa Boxer.
The Town Board has been dominated by Republicans for 25 years.
“Results still matter,” Barrett said. “It’s less about ideology, and more about management and results.”
Tyler A. McNeil can be reached at 518-395-3749 or [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @TylerAMcNeil.
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