Claims of False Residency Spark Investigation of Schenectady, NY, Assistant Fire Chief

The Schenectady County Civil Service Office is looking into claims of false residency by Schenectady’s assistant fire chief

By Paul Nelson

Source Times Union, Albany, NY (TNS)

Sept. 17, 2025

3 min read

Matthew Reinemann was promoted to Schenectady assistant fire chief, and the county's Civil Service office is taking a closer look at potential residency requirements associated with the job.

Barely a month after Matthew Reinemann was promoted to assistant city fire chief, the Schenectady County Civil Service office appears to be taking a closer look at potential residency requirements associated with the job, although the mayor insists there are none.

"We'll review whether the County Civil Service has jurisdiction in this matter," said Chris Gardner, county attorney, on Monday when asked about the brewing controversy. Gardner declined to elaborate.

Questions have swirled over whether Reinemann lived in Schenectady County when he took a civil service exam for the new position, and whether he broke any rules related to his residency.

But on Monday, Mayor Gary McCarthy claimed that the issue is much ado about nothing and that he's sticking by his decision to appoint Reinemann.

Online real estate and other public records link Reinemann to an address in Stratford, a municipality located over an hour away from Schenectady, in Fulton County. McCarthy said Reinemann recently moved to Rotterdam.

Reinemann did not return a voicemail message left on his cellphone on Monday seeking comment.

"The test (civil service exam) for this position only requires that you be a firefighter, so once you're already on there, there's no residency put in this test requirement," McCarthy said. "I do not believe there's a basis for me to change my decision of appointing Matt Reinemann.

McCarthy added: "I'm happy with his record, I'm happy with that promotion, and look forward to working with him going forward."

The mayor appointed Reinemann, 40, to the second-in-command post on Aug. 25 during a special promotion ceremony at City Hall. Reinemann has worked at the department for 18 years, rising through the ranks from lieutenant to captain and, most recently, deputy chief.

The mayor said Monday that the definition of residency for civil service purposes is your place of domicile, "or where you intend to return."

"It means you're going to go back to the place, you're going to go home," he explained.

Still, he acknowledged that the veteran firefighter, who moved to Rotterdam either last week or 10 days ago, had, for a time, used a Myrtle Avenue address in Schenectady where his relatives apparently reside.

"That was accepted by civil service, that's what he took the test under, that was the list I was given," McCarthy said. "It was a nonmandatory list, but he passed and qualified, and that allows me to make a permanent appointment."

He said he "didn't know any of the background on it," including that Reinemann had another residence in the town of Stratford in Fulton County.

The mayor argued that he only became aware of the dual residency situation a few weeks ago.

The mayor, however, defended his assistant fire chief.

"He can have dual residency — residency is if you intend to return there at some point, so that if it's a family home, a relative's home there that he was using," said McCarthy.

He claimed that the issue has become controversial because "I chose Reinemann over someone else, and the other guy is mad."

"I want everybody to live in the city," McCarthy said. "Police and firefighters are specifically exempt by state law; other employees have been dropped back to the municipality."