CLIFTON PARK–The three female members of the all-Republican Clifton Park Town Board voted Monday to hire a law firm to investigate what they describe as “a toxic atmosphere” inside Town Hall and alleged employee mistreatment, including a complaint filed with the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office that alleges Supervisor Phil Barrett put his hands on an employee.
The Town Board’s split-decision to hire outside counsel drew outrage on Monday from many members of the public, who were concerned about the cost of the legal fees to pay for what many described as a smear campaign against Supervisor Barrett, who has been in office for more than two decades.
Board members Amy Standaert, Lynda Walowit and Amy Flood voted to hire attorney Hilary Moreira, of Bond, Schoeneck & King Attorneys, based in Garden City, New York. Moreira’s current hourly rate is $335, according to a letter Moreira wrote to the Town Board that was included as part of the resolution. The firm’s hourly rate can range from $185 to $495, according to the letter. Barrett and Councilman Anthony Morelli, who said he was not involved with the interviewing of the law firm, voted against the measure.
Barrett, who attended the meeting virtually due to what he described as an abundance of caution with rising COVID-19 cases, characterized the hiring of the law firm as political and an attempt to establish a narrative that Standaert could use to her advantage should she run for supervisor.
“This is all about politics....
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