DEMS HAVE BIG NIGHT
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Hours before results arrived Tuesday night, Saratoga Springs Mayor Joanne Yepsen spoke to reporters reflecting on the last 12 years she has served in public office.
It was in 2005 when she was elected to represent Saratoga Springs on the county level. She ended up serving eight years as supervisor before winning the city’s mayor race backto-back terms.
“That was also the year that the Democrats swept all seven seats [five City Council positions and two county supervisors], and I felt like it was a turning point for our future races,” said Yepsen. “And we began to talk immediately how we were going to affect change at the county because they are known for having white Republican males representing different municipalities in the county and we needed more diversity, so that was the beginning of the diversity quest for me.”
Going into Tuesday night five of the seven seats were Democratic ones.
Yepsen said she hoped both Democratic supervisor candidates won Tuesday night or she felt the county would go backwards. As results trickled in, Yepsen was half right as Democrat Tara Gaston secured one of two supervisor spots. Joining Gaston will be incumbent Matt Veitch, who ran on the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform party lines and had the most votes for supervisor.
But the overall theme of Tuesday night was the Democrats retaining control of five of the seven seats in the city.
Democrats Meg Kelly, who works for outgoing Yepsen as deputy mayor, and Peter Martin, who Spa City party’s slate sweeps contested council contests
"I really want to work with all of the commissioners to see if we can collaborate and work together. I think that’s a critical piece to sit down and make a plan. We need a plan going forward on what projects we want to work towards finishing." — Meg Kelly, mayor-elect of Saratoga Springs
opted to not run for re-election as city supervisor, declared victory in their races for mayor and public safety commissioner, respectively.
“I really want to work with all of the commissioners to see if we can collaborate and work together,” said Kelly. “I think that’s a critical piece to sit down and make a plan. We need a plan going forward on what projects we want to work towards finishing.”
As someone who grew up in Saratoga Springs, it was a surreal night.
“It’s crazy, you know? I grew up here. This is a city I love, and it’s really amazing that I achieved this level,” said Kelly. “I am really super proud of myself and my team. We did it as a team.”
Kelly was challenged by former City Center President Mark Baker, a Republican. Former police officer and Saratoga Casino Hotel security official Don Braim ran for public safety commissioner as a Republican.
The unofficial results mean no change in the Democratic majority on the council. Democrats John Franck, commissioner of accounts, and Michele Madigan, commissioner of finance, ran unopposed, as did Commissioner of Public Works Anthony “Skip” Scriocco, a Republican.
Incumbent Commissioner of Public Safety Christian Mathiesen, a Democrat, decided to not seek re-election this year.
Some Republicans gathered at the Holiday Inn in Saratoga Springs said Tuesday’s results show the strength Democrats have gained in the Spa City in recent years.
Former Mayor Scott Johnson, a Republican, said he was surprised at Kelly’s victory over Baker for mayor. She won by approximately 400 votes.
“It points to a changing demographic in the city,” Johnson said. “Democrats enrolled quite a few new voters since the last election, and the numbers show.”
Kelly focused her campaign on five things: preserving the city in the country as her top priority, the issue of parking, creating more work force housing, finding a permanent home for Code Blue and her position in favor the proposed charter change.
Baker touted his business experience and experience in consensus building on the campaign trail. He favored having an EMS and fire station available for residents in the Eastern Plateau, continuing to maintain the downtown core and looking at water infrastructure. Baker is opposed to going into Saratoga Lake for reserves. He also did not favor changing the city’s government.
Baker thanked supporters before crossing the street to concede the election and congratulate Kelly, at the Saratoga Inn.
GOP party faithful gave him a standing ovation.
“We worked incredibly hard,” Baker said. “We need to stay up, we need to stay positive, we need to stay vigilant and most of all we need to stay bold. We have a challenge to maintain our community we all love.”
Baker walked across Broadway to The Inn at Saratoga to congratulate Kelly on the win.
Martin garnered 51.16 percent of the vote while Braim got 48.8 percent in the race for public safety commissioner.
“There is a lot going on in Saratoga. There is a lot of change coming our way. I really look forward to addressing that change to kind of leading some of the changes that we need,” Martin said. “I really look forward to working with code enforcement, with the traffic and safety group, with the fireman and with the policeman, but most importantly I really look forward to working for the people of Saratoga Springs. I think there’s a lot we can do, and I’m just really excited about it.”
Braim, who worked at Saratoga Harness Racing Inc. from 1996 through 2016 following his 22-plus-year career as a patrolman and criminal investigator with the Saratoga Springs Police Department, campaigned on his resume, saying his experience “speaks for itself.”
Martin said he believes his experience as an attorney — he was counsel to Ayco Company until his retirement — and in Saratoga County government, where he has served as the county clerk and a supervisor for the city, made him the best person for the job.
The commissioners and mayor’s salary are $14,500 per year with benefits. It’s a two-year term that begins January 1, 2018.
Yepsen appointed Kelly as a deputy mayor in July 2016.
“Meg represents the future, represents progress, and represents bipartisanship,” Yepsen said. “I really do believe that this is what’s best for our city.”