Troy Mayor Patrick Madden gave his first State of the City address Thursday night.
In office about a month, the Democrat didn't mince words as he recited the problems Troy faces, from a budget that lacks "structural balance" to the nagging problem of water infrastructure. He tells Time Warner Cable News: "We have some pretty significant challenges ahead of us. We also have some great opportunities. We're gonna need to work together."
He cited Troy’s ongoing struggle with blighted and abandoned properties, saying he's looking into the possibility of imposing a hotel bed tax. And he noted that there are several "revenue enhancement" proposals under consideration, including more effective collection of unpaid parking fines, currently topping $1 million. Republican City Council President Carmella Mantello sees eye to eye with that... "Clearly, that's several years that's been an issue in revenue that the city has not received. So the council will put forward legislation to tackle that issue. And additionally, I was pleased to hear that we're going to go aggressively toward infrastructure dollars. Our water main break certainly highlighted the issues with our aging infrastructure. So I look forward to working with the mayor on many of these issues."
Madden said an initiative to upgrade Troy's water pipes had already gotten under way during Lou Rosamilia's term as mayor. The break last month that sent millions of gallons into the streets of Lansingburgh brought the issue front and center. Replacing the aging line will cost $2.7 million, paid for by a combination of a loan and a grant.
He also touched on economic recovery, pointing out that in Troy, the process has been moving slowly. Too many residents, especially those in poorer neighborhoods, are still underemployed or unemployed. "Minorities and women are woefully under-represented in our workforce. That's not acceptable. It will be a focus of my administration to move the composition of our workforce to be more reflective of the community of Troy."
But Madden said he is optimistic, ending his address with a JFK quote: “Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.”
