Informal Opinion No.

Jean Mary Reinhardt, Esq. Corporation Counsel, Cohoes

In a telephone conversation relating to your request for an opinion, you asked that we focus our attention on the construction of the following provision of your city's charter:

"No member of the police or fire department shall hold any other office nor be employed in any other department of the city government." (Cohoes City Charter, § 159; adopted as L 1915, ch 130.)

The question is whether this provision should be construed to disqualify a member of the police or fire department from being a candidate for public office or whether the…