For the past few weeks, allegations have been flying left and right between the mayor of Saranac Lake and the village board. Residents deserve to know the facts. We now have a fuller idea of what happened, but the question now is: What happens next?

At the past few village board meetings, sparks have flown as Mayor Jimmy Williams accused village board members of illegally meeting without him. (Village board members have denied that meeting happened; if it had, it would have been in violation of the state’s Open Meetings Law.) The village board, in turn, has called for an internal investigation into whether the mayor has violated village policies. On Monday, Williams appointed Trustee Matt Scollin as his deputy mayor, effectively removing Trustee Tom Catillaz from the role. Catillaz had called that meeting without the mayor a few days prior, though asked if his decision to appoint a new deputy mayor was in response to the last board meeting and the board’s request for an investigation, Williams said that he just felt it was the right time.

The relationship between the mayor and some village board members has been rocky for some time — pretty much from the moment he was elected. Williams acknowledged that recently. But this latest conflict stems from an incident between Williams and Village Manager Eric Stender earlier this month, which ended with Stender tendering his resignation, the latest in a string of resignations by village employees.

Williams has said that what happened between him and Stender was a “personal interaction.” Stender initially declined to comment but has since said that Williams grabbed him by the throat and “slammed” him against a wall. Saranac Lake Police Chief Darin Perrotte said the incident did not rise to a criminal level. Stender could have pressed charges, which could’ve resulted in a violation charge, but chose not to press charges.

The village board, rightfully so, demanded to see the police report on the incident after hearing from concerned village employees and residents. They’ve since seen the police report, and now we’ve learned the details of what’s in it, too — that’s despite the village rejecting a Freedom of Information Law request from the Enterprise seeking the information.

We believe the village board was right to call for an internal investigation into whether or not village policies were violated, though they were wrong in how they initially went about it. Calling for an “emergency executive session” on a Sunday, outside of a public meeting, and failing to provide a location for the session and excluding Williams from the notice, would have violated state law. The state’s Open Meetings Law must be followed. The village board also should’ve kept Williams in the loop as much as they could, rather than try to go behind his back. Voters elected Williams, and even if there’s disagreements, miscommunication or a possible investigation, the board still needs to work transparently and respectfully, not secretively.

We understand that the village board wanted to get legal advice on how to handle the situation, but here’s the thing: The village should already have an attorney present at its meetings. Other governments already do this; there’s no excuse for not having an attorney present. Distance is no longer a factor. In Lake Placid, for example, village Attorney Janet Bliss will attend meetings remotely if she cannot be present in person. Yes, there could be an additional cost to taxpayers for this, but there have been numerous times over the past few months where village business has been delayed because the board needed to adjourn and gather legal advice before they made a decision. Upon learning the reason that the village board wanted to meet with an attorney in an executive session, the mayor also should have recused himself and let the process play out. That would’ve shown Williams’ commitment to greater transparency in village government, something he did campaign on.

This village is facing a dire affordable housing crisis. The nearby colleges are facing declining enrollment and financial challenges, much like colleges across the country. Many local businesses are struggling to find staff in part because of the lack of housing; meanwhile, many residents are struggling to put food on the table. The village is also in the middle of multiple DRI and park projects. Saranac Lake needs its government to be operating efficiently.

So, what should happen next? If the village board wants an internal investigation, it should vote to launch one. The mayor should let that investigation happen. If the investigation finds policies have been violated, the consequences should be fair and in line with the severity of the violations. If they have not been violated, the board should consider revisions to village policies if they feel current polities aren’t sufficient to ensure a safe work environment for village employees.

Elected officials should be held to a high standard, but regardless of a person’s position, workplace violence is not OK. If what Stender alleges is true, we think he did the right thing by leaving a situation that he no longer felt comfortable with.

Our village officials must also work to repair the relationships that have been damaged for the sake of everybody they represent.

Everyone on the board, and the mayor, don’t need to like each other, but everyone needs to work together for the sake of Saranac Lake.