SCHENECTADY — Last fall, Justin Chaires, a councilman from Schenectady, was one of 17 candidates who applied for an open city council seat. In his application, he listed his experience as a member of the Schenectady Civilian Police Review Board.
However, his claim of serving on the police review board has recently come under scrutiny. The city’s Democratic Party has raised doubts about Chaires’ service on the board, and Eric Clifford, the former Schenectady Police Chief, has stated that he does not recall Chaires being a part of the board.
“During my tenure as chief, I don’t recall him being a part of the board,” Clifford, who served as the police chief for ten years before retiring in January, said about Chaires.
The city’s Democratic Party, which has endorsed Rachael Ward, Chaires’ opponent in the upcoming June 23 primary for the council seat, is now questioning the validity of the resume Chaires submitted in February when he sought the party’s endorsement.
Sue Nadler, the party chair, stated on Thursday that the committee could not find any proof of Chaires’ service on the police review board or any record of him going through the appointment process to join the board.
Furthermore, between 2019 and 2026, the Schenectady City Council, which is responsible for approving each member of the police board, did not pass a resolution appointing Chaires as a full-time or alternate member of the police review board.
The city’s Democratic Party also criticized Chaires for claiming to be a member of the New York Conference of Mayors [NYCOM] on his resume, pointing out that Chaires was not a city official when he submitted his resume.
“These are not minor errors or harmless embellishments,” Sue Nadler pointed out in a statement on Wednesday night. “Candidates for the council who are asking for the trust of voters and Democratic committee members should be honest and transparent about their qualifications. Mr. Chaires owes the public clear answers regarding what appear to be numerous inaccuracies on his resume.”
Chaires, who is Black, stated that he served on the review board as the NAACP’s appointee, but he could not provide specific dates for his service. He believes he served in 2020 or 2021.
“I can’t recall the exact dates right now,” Chaires said in an interview on May 29. “I took over the NAACP spot when someone had to step down due to medical issues.”
Chaires explained that his service on the police board was temporary. “I was present at the committee meetings when they needed me,” he said.
The police review board, which reviews civilian complaints against the Schenectady police department, is made up of nine members. These members are appointed by the mayor and then confirmed by the city council. Outside organizations, including the NAACP, Schenectady Municipal Housing Authority, and the League of Women Voters, recommend candidates for the board to the mayor’s office.
Nikita Bowen-Hardy, the President of Schenectady NAACP, confirmed on Wednesday that Chaires served on the police review board for a “short period of time.” However, Bowen-Hardy, who became the head of the Schenectady NAACP in 2025, could not provide the exact dates of Chaires’ service on the police board. Chaires previously served as the vice president of the Schenectady NAACP.
The Schenectady city clerk’s office did not respond to two requests to verify Chaires’ service on the police board or to confirm the dates of his tenure.
On Wednesday, Chaires stated that he served on the review board for about a “year or so.”
Chaires was eventually chosen by the city council to fill the seat left vacant by former council member Joseph Mancini last August. He was appointed by the council on Dec. 18, but Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy immediately vetoed the selection. When the council tried to seat Chaires, McCarthy sued the council. Chaires finally took his place on the council in February when Schenectady County Supreme Court Judge Michael Cuevas ruled in favor of the council. Later in February, the Schenectady City Democratic Committee endorsed Ward over the incumbent Chaires. Chaires was appointed to serve on the city council for the remainder of 2026, with the last year of Mancini’s term on the ballot this November.
The city’s Democratic committee also expressed concerns about Chaires’ inconsistent attendance record as a member of the Schenectady County Library Board of Trustees.
Since his appointment to the library board in March 2024, Chaires has missed 11 of 23 board meetings from March 2024 to April 2026, citing scheduling conflicts as the reason for his absences.
“I’ve adjusted my schedule to focus on the City of Schenectady and the council and to ensure that I attend all these meetings on time,” Chaires said.
Since joining the board in February, Chaires has attended all eight full city council meetings.
Bad punctuation and grammar, disagree
the accusations are ridiculous and just a ploy to smear chaires’ reputation
Disagree – Chaires’ qualifications should be evaluated on actual merit, not accusations.
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