Many factors led to decision to not run again
First, it has been a great honor and pleasure to serve the people of Saratoga Springs, for eight years as county supervisor and for the past 3 ½ years as mayor of this beloved, vibrant city. Our quality of life is evident every day as we balance the preservation and celebration of our strong history with the needs and choices of our residents and local businesses, our young and young-at-heart, our families and entrepreneurs, our healthy and disabled, our workers, veterans and retirees.
Our city in the country is truly the envy of cities across the state, and in fact the nation.
And that does not come from waving a magic wand. It comes from the dedication and commitment of not only our public officials, but also an active, engaged community.
It is with great loyalty and passion that I have decided to focus for the next seven months, every day, moving forward the projects we’ve begun together, as I finish my second term as mayor. This is a critical time in Saratoga Springs’ history. We need full attention toward completing the Unified Development Ordinance; bringing the Geyser Road Trail to the point of construction after 12 years; establishing an implementation plan for our renewed Complete Streets policy; and launching our economic cultural exchange with Nashville and other arts cities.
Finally, we need to bring to Saratoga Springs two affordable housing initiatives that will keep our residents from being priced out of their own community; and we need our continued focus, always, on human rights for all.
Therefore, I have decided not to run for re-election. Instead, without the full-time commitment a political campaign requires, I am looking forward to spending my time and energy on bringing to fruition these and other important initiatives. As we know, political campaigns can be a great distraction from getting things done.
New doors of opportunity have opened to me recently, which will allow me to take my dedication, policy priorities and professional public and private sector leadership to new heights, and I look forward to sharing my plans in the coming months. I will take with me the experiences and knowledge I have gained from my years working for and with this community and put it to use in broader ways that ultimately benefit the people and city and state I call home.
Serving as your mayor is the highlight of my professional career. Representing and managing the city has been an 80- plus hours per week job, one I wouldn’t want to compromise by doing any other way.
With the current parttime salary (just over $14,000 a year) I simply cannot afford to continue status quo. The part time compensation for the necessary full-time position of mayor of this fantastic city is unrealistic. And in fact, it closes the door to others who might serve the city well. I hope our City Charter Commission is successful at addressing this and other much needed updates.
We’re a great city, and a great community of people. We have accomplished much together – new accessibility and openness in the Mayor’s Office; completing Waterfront Park, giving Saratoga Lake access to all; Pitney Farm preservation; $4.5 million in funding for Greenbelt Trail; starting Code Blue; ending Veterans’ Homelessness; affordable housing proposals; resolving fair labor contracts; successfully balancing smart growth and open space; and many more. But there’s still so much left to accomplish. And, although I will be stepping down as your mayor, I will not be stepping down as your neighbor. I will continue to advocate side by side with you for issues we all care about. That’s why it gives me great pleasure to know that the work our administration has done will continue it’s momentum toward achieving it’s goals. How do I know this? Because we have a strong candidate ready to take over the reins of leadership, ready to fight for our City in the Country, ready to stand up and speak up for those who cannot do it for themselves.
We have a candidate ready to start off and make a positive impact on day one. And she’s already in a tremendously strong position to do so. Deputy Mayor Meg Kelly will run for mayor of Saratoga Springs, and I enthusiastically endorse her candidacy. Meg is a person who has strong ties to this community. She is known for her hard work, her compassionate advocacy, and high level of integrity. Please join me in my full support of Meg Kelly for mayor of Saratoga Springs.