Schenectady City Council candidates debated Thursday at SUNY Schenectady.
Four seats on the council will be filled in the coming election.
Democratic newcomer Joseph Mancini joined Democratic incumbents Carl Williams, Doreen Ditoro and Carmel Patrick, along with Republican hopefuls Jacob Dobbs and Stephanie Hayes. The debate, co-sponsored by SUNY Schenectady and the Daily Gazette, was mostly cordial.
The candidates introduced themselves, then took questions from a four-member panel.
Topics included traffic calming and imposing a 25-mile per hour speed limit across the Electric City. Patrick said "Research has shown that even lowering the speed limit by five miles reduces the risk of pedestrian death. We also feel that if we have a speed limit of 25, then people will go 30. So that would be helpful. I'm not in favor of lowering the speed limit to 25 miles per hour throughout the entire city."
Dobbs suggested installing speed cameras, which Mancini favored along with redesigning streets. Hayes says only on certain streets should speed be limited to 25. Williams says traffic data should be thoroughly examined. Ditoro agreed, noting that the city is already experimenting with removable speed bumps in the Hamilton Hill area. Ditoro doesn't favor lowering the speed limit unless the enforcement will be in place to back it up.
On the perception of crime in Schenectady, the candidates agreed increased public awareness has heightened concern. Williams opined that community policing works. "I think part of it is due to the nature that we are an urban community. I think whenever you hear of crime statistics based to some of our neighboring cities, it's important to make sure that we're interpreting that information accurately, and making sure that we proportionately view it based on our population size. There is an article recently in the newspaper identifying how our police department recently launched an online database. It is important for us as viewers and recipients of that information to make sure that we shout just as loud for that, because that is a huge improvement and milestone taken in response to our police reforming policy," said Williams.
The candidates also aired their views on zoning issues involving cannabis dispensaries, for the most part seeming to agree with Hayes's assessment: "It's a law, it's accepted. It's here in our community, we have to make it work."
Ditoro said the council is involved in the siting process. "Each of the members of the city council had an opportunity to sit down with our law department and development department to express to them maybe some of our concerns and where we would like to see future dispensaries are located in our city. We were presented a map the other day with an overlay. And I think most of the council in meeting with those departments, we all kind of agree that it needs to be like in districts that where there's not a lot of residential areas," Ditoro said.
Two Republican council candidates did not partake in the debate. Bryan Barrett had a conflict. Kevin Hammer suspended active campaigning in July but said if elected, he will serve.
Early voting begins October 28th. Election Day is November 7th.
