Utica Council Person Claims Employee Was Unfairly Demoted [Video]

Utica Common Council person Katie Aiello made a rare appearance on WIBX's Keeler Show On Tuesday, February 4, 2025, to defend a demoted city employee and to accuse Mayor Mike Galime of retribution.

Aiello said the Mayor replaced DPW Commissioner Dave Short with a member of the Mayor's family, as retribution for reporting an employee to Human Resources and not brining the issue to the Mayor's office instead. She also said Short was demoted to Parks and Recreation Commission and lost $7,000 in annual salary. She's asking that the loss in salary be restored, The Mayor, who will appear on the Keeler Show on Tuesday, vehemently denied the claims via text message and email, and said he will explain his position "tactfully" during Thursday's appearance. Recently, the city named Deputy Commissioner Mark Sokolowski the new Commissioner of the department. Aiello said she believes Sokolowski is the Mayor's cousin by marriage.

Aiello also cited the release of the independent audit done by the Bonadio Group in Syracuse which she says shows that the city did not need last year, and does not need a tax increase for the coming year as predicted by Comptroller Bill Morehouse. Morehouse defended last year's increase and predicted a three to four percent tax increase this year. "If I had my way the tax increase would be 10-percent this year," said Morehouse.

In his email,  Mayor Galime added that the audit had not been sent back to Bonadio to have the numbers changed like city critics had alleged. He said there were no change to the numbers concluded by the auditors, but there was a change to the verbiage that was a part of the audit. "When this audit is reviewed by creditors, bond agencies, etc, it needs to have a meaningful management review – which is the Administration’s view on how to move the city forward given the findings, if any, and net position of the city," Galime wrote.

Watch the complete interview below with Aiello via the WIBX Keeler YouTube Channel.