The mayor of Troy can be heard in a pitched disagreement with a local businessman in a recording obtained by WAMC.
Mayor Carmella Mantello is heard in the expletive-laced recording made by Anthony DeMeo on Wednesday. DeMeo is frustrated with a city construction project along Campbell Avenue.
DeMeo of Bob DeMeo’s Discount Wine and Liquor says his business has been severely impacted by the detours caused by the construction.
“We're getting ready to close the doors, because it's just not profitable at this point,” DeMeo said. “It's impossible to keep dumping money into this business and expect traffic. We have no customers. There are absolutely no customers. I've actually stopped ordering from a few of my wholesalers.”
Mantello, a Republican, says the curbing, sidewalk, and lead pipe replacement project is ahead of schedule and the city has done all it can to minimize its impacts on residents and businesses.
“Our job here is to mitigate the pain, to ensure that we're on budget and to ensure that we finish this on time or before,” Mantello said. “The good news, if mother nature cooperates, we're looking at potentially three weeks or less.”
Mantello says the business had financial problems even before the project. Reached by WAMC, DeMeo refutes that.
“Operating any business post-COVID, any brick and mortar business, is difficult, but I would not say that I was having financial difficulties,” DeMeo said. I mean, I own the plaza that my store is in, and we've been there for 49 years. A business doesn't survive 49 years just on the hopes and wishes. You actually have to have concrete evidence you have that money coming in. So for her to represent that is very false.”
Mantello says the project is taking time because it’s a permanent solution.
Both Mantello and DeMeo say they have had a long-term working relationship and were thrown off by the interaction.
“When you go to great lengths, you know, you just expect that rapport. But listen, I get it. And sometimes people hit maybe that breaking point,” Mantello said. “I've seen on social media, ‘this is a disaster,’ etc. You know, I’ve contacted them, and they know that I'm on speed dial, so you know it's unfortunate, but listen, we have a job to do, and you know we're here to do that job.”
