The new mayor of Saratoga Springs delivers his first State of the City address tonight, but other councilors have been invited to speak as well.
Republican Mayor John Safford won November’s election in what many in the city saw as a referendum on civility and cooperation within city hall – after tensions between former councilors spilled into public and city council meetings were disrupted by rowdy crowds.
In recent city council meetings, Safford has stuck by his campaign promise to rein in the public comment period during city council meetings, implementing new rules including a reduction in the amount of time one person can speak, as well as requiring residents who want to speak to sign up before the meeting.
Speaking with WAMC, Safford says his speech will focus on encouraging city hall to move on from previous “dysfunction” by recognizing various departments within his office.
“You know, we’re making great progress on the addiction, mental health, and homeless situation, I think. And that’s significant to what I promised to be working on,” said Safford.
Safford says the other members of the city council will present addresses from the perspective of their own offices.
“Three of them have been here for two years. Again, we’re still working on trust and encouragement of one another. And, so far, that seems to be holding and I want to hear what the other commissioners have to say and give them an opportunity to talk about the positive things they’ve been able to do,” said Safford.
Democratic Finance Commissioner Minita Sanghvi says her speech will focus on the successful funding of projects like the city’s third fire station as well as the temporary low-barrier homeless shelter on Adelphi Street. She also applauded the shift in the structure of the addresses.
“Yeah, I think it’s really great for all of us to learn about what is happening in other departments. What are some of the initiatives other departments are thinking about or working on. But, overall, it helps me believe that the mayor is truly believing in the spirit of collegiality and civility that he’s been talking about this entire time by having all of us present. I mean, that’s a really good example of collegiality,” said Sanghvi.
Public Safety Commissioner Tim Coll, who won a three-way race in November, says he will reflect on the 2023 achievements of the department he now leads and outline plans for increased police community engagement.
“We have two officers on foot patrol and we are calling the new officers our community engagement officers. And this program is a priority for the department, it’s a priority for me. It involves our officers meeting with the business community, learning about their concerns and vulnerabilities. As well as working with our homeless community and non-profits such as RISE and Shelters of Saratoga,” said Coll.
Democratic Public Works Commissioner Jason Golub says his speech will center on how his department has made progress toward creating a “21st century Saratoga Springs.”
“It was really how do we challenge the public works department to both provide the best in municipal services, but also expand how the community thinks of Public Works. So, everything from aggressive sidewalk projects to more green space. We’re really trying to expand and re-imagine DPW,” explained Golub.
Safford’s address begins at 7.
