Achievements during my tenure as Saratoga Springs mayor
As Mayor of Saratoga Springs, I am privileged to serve my hometown. Collaboration, compromise, and communication — these are guiding concepts of my administration, and it is rewarding to report that we have achieved considerable accomplishments during my tenure.
• The Geyser Road Trail project, struggling since 2008, is finally cleared for action — out to bid with financing in place and groundbreaking scheduled for autumn of 2019.
• After over 30 years, the City Center will also break ground this fall on its muchneeded parking structure, as part of Flat Rock Centre.
• While the City’s Comprehensive Plan was revised in 2015, the process of bringing the zoning laws and map into compliance was never completed. Under my administration, we expect the Unified Development (Zoning) Ordinance project to be finished by year-end.
• Options for suitable land to locate an East Side Fire Station are closer to realization than any time in recent history. This is a priority the entire City Council shares, and we aim to make this happen.
• My team has re-organized and re-tooled both the Building and Planning Departments, realizing an impressive reduction in wait times, even in the face of a record number of applications.
• We have added new funding in the amount of $1.9 million to construct missing sidewalk segments in the City’s urban core, $1.4 million to the Geyser Road Trail project, and several thousand for smaller projects. This is in addition to the over $3 million in grants being managed for clean transportation, open space, natural resources, and trails.
• I have worked to encourage sustainable initiatives such as recycling, multi-modal transportation opportunities, parks and green space, EV chargers and sustainable building design. We partnered with the Commissioner of Finance Michele Madigan to create a new sustainabilitylanding page on our city website.
• We administer over $350,000 in 2019 HUD Grants, Residential Rehabilitation Loans and Economic Development Loans, bringing assistance to more than 1,000 people in our community for housing, job creation and public services.
• We have partnered with Saratoga County to find solutions for “Code Blue” (and various homelessness options), and worked on other shared services, establishing efficiencies and increasing available funding resources.
• Board appointments, current to date, are now advertised and chosen from a wide range of candidates who provide resumes and complete interviews.
• The lapsed Board of Plumbing Examiners has been restored as required by law. It has established procedures, an application, and testing.
• The Human Resource Department has been re-organized to complete a consolidation of functions that was planned at its inception 15 years ago but never implemented.
The Council is now defined by civility. Our new level of teamwork and efficiency made small work of the August 2018 fire and temporary relocation, and I am sure we will make the move back to 474 Broadway just as seamless.
It has been an exacting, exciting two years. Many projects are coming to realization, many more are being initiated. I have respectfully submitted my bid to serve Saratogians for another term of productivity and successes, and am devoted to making the City of Saratoga Springs the best it can be.
With my outstanding team, its excellent work to date, more accomplishments in the making, and a now collaborative environment, the future of the City looks bright!
Thank you,