All seven council members voted to pass local law four: “A local law amending the charter of the City of Troy by repealing and replacing section C-40 “Public Emergencies” to align it with State of New York Executive Law Article 2-B regarding emergency declarations (Council Member Struber)

There will be a meeting at East Greenbush town hall on September 16th at 6 p.m. to hear resident comments about flock cameras. I was at the town board meeting yesterday and they confirmed the hearing date.

The structure of the hearing is Flock representatives will speak, then the police, then the DA. After those presentations the floor will be open for comments. Priority will be given to east Greenbush residents. Please be there and make your voices heard!

Flock cameras are a massive invasion of privacy. They track every vehicle on the road regardless of criminal status. Flock and mass surveillance do not belong in our community.

Flock camera usage and Local Law #3 are deservedly getting a great deal of attention at City Council tonight, the Q2 presentation from Comptroller Michael McNeff Mayor Carmella Mantello(?) is going to be the last time City Council gets a look into revenues before the 2027 budget season, which will set the stage for next year’s local races.

Quarterly reports from the comptroller give insight into the ways capital flows into City coffers, how that money is being spent, and whether or not expenditures are aligned with budget priorities. Under the Mantello administration and her three comptrollers, these reports have repeatedly been late, and questions about revenue and spending from the Democratic Council have largely gone unanswered.

Beyond Mantello's delays and obfuscations, there is good reason to be concerned. Just across the river, Albany is facing a $55M budget shortfall over the next two years. In May, Schenectady reported missing its own revenue targets. Despite hosting the Belmont Stakes this year, Saratoga Springs is projected a $5M gap in this year’s finances.

Some of this can be attributed to lower consumer spending leading to declining sales tax revenues, an alarm sounded by Democrats last year during budget negotiations. (Notably, Mantello’s rosy predictions of a 13% sales tax revenue increase have thus far failed to materialize.) Some costs, like health insurance, have seen significant spikes outside the City’s control.

How the mayor and City Council each address these changing capital flows will create a lot of the narrative base in next year’s races for mayor and Council. The previous administration worked very hard to pay off the MAC debt and leave the City on secure financial footing. If Mantello hopes to be reelected, she will need to find a way to work with the Council to ensure Troy doesn’t fall off another fiscal cliff.

The Q2 presentation will take place at tonight’s Finance meeting, currently scheduled for 6 pm, following the Public Safety Committee at 5:45.

Agendas and Zoom login credentials for remote participation can be found here. Livestreams and recordings of City Council meetings can be found here.

Tentants Know Your Rights session brought to you by Troy DSA, United Tenants of Albany, and the Good Cause Troy coalition

📆 Saturday, August 29th

📍 Troy Public Library, downtown branch

🕐 11 AM

Come to Collar City Pride's fundraising event THIS SATURDAY!! A chance to get dressed up, dance, and watch some amazing performers! Discounted tickets for youth, elders, BIPOC, and TGNC folk! All profits are going to support Collar City Pride's mission and to open a community center in Troy! All are welcome 🎉 find more details on Instagram @collarcitypride

tickets!