Troy mayor’s office mum on work status of city comptroller
TROY — Mayor Carmella Mantello’s office has remained silent on whether a member of her administration is still employed by the city.
City Comptroller Dylan Spring left a city council finance meeting in the middle of a presentation last week, at one point saying he had had a “f—-ing panic attack” the day prior. Officials declined to comment on his employment status Friday.
Spring did not return multiple calls Friday, and no one picked up the phone at his office. When a Times Union reporter visited the comptroller’s office Friday, Mantello’s spokeswoman Haley Hill informed them the city would not comment on personnel matters.
“Consistent with federal law and City policy, we do not discuss ongoing personnel matters,” Hill later said in a statement. “I urge the media to respect Comptroller Spring’s privacy and we will provide an update at the appropriate time.”
Spring was presenting the city’s first quarter financial report last Thursday when a city council member, after asking a question, remarked she “was new to this.” Council President Sue Steele added, “So is he,” referring to Spring.
“You don’t have to keep stabbing me, Council President,” Spring replied. “It’s not very nice. It’s very — It’s making me very anxious.”
In a back-and-forth with Steele, Spring uttered he “had a f—-ing panic attack yesterday,” and left the room.
In a statement Tuesday, Mantello condemned the remarks as Spring “being verbally attacked” by Steele. She referred to Spring as a member of her staff in the statement, with no reference to his employment status.
Steele, a Democrat, was already critical of Spring for turning in the first quarter financial report weeks after it was due on April 30, and said he’d submitted it only minutes before the meeting. She suggested postponing Spring’s presentation until next month but deferred to Republican Majority Leader Thomas Casey’s decision to move forward.
Spring, who was hired by the city Feb. 12 and has previous experience in the state Comptroller’s Office, struggled to answer certain questions from council members, including decreases or increases in budget lines or what line item rent for city hall went under.