Departure of Drawbridge Sparks Debate

Tim Drawbridge has held the position of communications director for The City of Glens Falls since October 2022, and announced his resignation on August 14th, 2023… He will be leaving the position at the end of this month, to take a position in the Capital Region and be closer to his daughter. 

His departure has sparked debate about the need for a full-time communications director for the City of Glens Falls… Mayor Bill Collins believes that the role of communications director is vital to maintaining a line of communication with residents and the press alike: “Tim is the City’s first true communications director – and if we learned anything during his tenure, it is that the position is critical to keeping City residents informed,” Collins said.

Drawbridge’s departure comes when the city is working to fill other vital positions throughout City Hall; these vacancies include administrative secretary for the police department, code enforcement officer, and building inspector. The now-available position of communication director pays $50,000 to $55,000 a year, with “excellent benefits”.

Third Ward Councilwoman Diana Palmer questions the need for a full-time communications director: “In the past, we had a part-time webmaster that sent out communication on the website and on Instagram… The previous mayor’s secretary sent out the press releases. I think having one part-time person dedicated to communication is more than sufficient… Sometimes, we have to be resourceful to keep costs down,” Palmer said.  

Fourth Ward Councilman Ben Lapham is also unconvinced of the necessity of the role, citing the need for a list of responsibilities for the position, performance indicators, and benchmarks. 

Both Palmer and Lapham are open to the idea of partnering with a local PR firm, but the focus remains on the cost of the expenditure: “I would prefer to be cautious about adding to our full-time employees without careful consideration of the cost-benefit analysis,” Palmer said.