Troy Mayor Patrick Madden won Tuesday’s Democratic primary against a two-time rival.
Running for a second four-year term, Democrat Patrick Madden declared victory over former City Council President Rodney Wiltshire in a rematch of 2015.
At the podium at a local bar, Madden thanked voters for their support...
“Who are showing their faith in our approach to restoring the City of Troy to its splendor, to fiscal solvency, to good government. I thank them very much for supporting me and my team once again…”
Madden and Wiltshire ran a close race four years ago. After absentee ballots were counted, Madden finished that primary 47 votes ahead. Wiltshire did secure the Working Families Party line in 2015 and remained on the ballot in November, where Madden secured the win in a four-way race.
Madden’s first city budget proposal was negotiated down before being adopted with a 14.5 tax increase. A controversial trash fee was also approved during his first term.
Madden says he knew there would be some unhappy voters going into his second primary.
“We needed to make some difficult decisions all with an eye to the future of the city, the future, fiscal strength of our city, the health of our neighborhoods. We made those calls. We didn’t take the politically expedient route. We did what was right for the city and we accepted the consequences for that,” said Madden.
Now looking forward to November, Madden used a phrase he’s often uttered to describe the fiscal health of the city: “We’re not out of the woods yet.”
“We’re paying down debt. We’re paying down other deferred obligations that we inherited. As we do that it will allow us to begin reinvesting in some of our long-neglected assets: our parks, our streets, our sidewalks, youth programming, things of that nature. That’s where my priorities will be,” said Madden.
As Madden’s team celebrated, a few blocks away, it was quiet at Wiltshire HQ.
Wiltshire thanked the voters who came to his side for their support.
“At the very least, I am glad for holding Mayor Madden’s feet to the fire on some of the things that I think that he should have been working on all along, even though it took the last four months to see him get back to work. So I hope the pool opens this summer, I hope the streets get paved, and I hope our garbage gets picked up,” said Wiltshire.
Wiltshire said he thought the June primary date – a first for 2019 in New York state, to align with federal primaries – may have taken many voters by surprise.
In the months ahead, the former city council president said he wants to see the Madden administration be more transparent, spend more efficiently, and make public safety a priority.
“They need to stop the bickering and the battling with the different departments and make sure that everyone is pulling in the same direction,” said Wiltshire.
Two other significant city issues could into play in November’s election: whether or not Troy should declare itself a Sanctuary City, and the ongoing push to redevelop the site of the former City Hall at One Monument Square.
Madden is slated to face Republican candidate Tom Reale in November.
