After a brief hiatus due to medical reasons, Mayor Frank Rossi announced his to day-to-day duties in Ballston Spa. 

The announcement was made in a speech posted on Facebook on February 26. In the speech, Rossi talked about the reasons he took a leave of absence and said that he was feeling better. 

“I feel a lot better.” Rossi said. “My blood pressure is much better. My sleep schedule and sleep consistency are much improved. I would have said I was perfectly ready to return to work without hesitation.” 

Rossi had previously announced his decision to take a leave of absence in January, citing mental and physical health issues. His announcement came days after a lawsuit was filed alleging that a building owned by the Rossi family had failed to pay water taxes, as first reported in the Times Union. 

In addition, a second lawsuit has been filed seeking to reverse an ethics board decision taking no action after a company Rossi’s brother works for received a contract to renovate Wiswall Park in Ballston Spa. 

In his speech Rossi addressed the two lawsuits, pushing back on the allegations and saying that in both cases, the ethics board ruled in his favor. He also talked about the personal toll, saying that while he doesn’t care about his reputation, he cares about the reputational harm to the village and his family caused by the allegations. 

Rossi announced that he would not be resigning, citing the positive work he’d done over the last four years and the desire to continue not just his own work but that of past mayors and residents. 

“Would me resigning tonight resolve these issues and solve the problems the village is facing?” Rossi said  “No in fact, resigning would exacerbate the problems and the harm, in my view, it would derail what we’ve worked so hard to achieve, not just in these four years, but during Christine Fitzpatrick’s time, Larry Woolbright’s time, John Romanos time, Jim Capasso’s time, Burke Grandon’s time and Jim Capasso’s father’s time as mayor.” 

The Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee has announced that former mayor Ron Kim will take over as interim chairman of the committee. 

Kim was elected to the interim position following the resignation of chairman Ottis Maxwell during the Feb 21 meeting, according to a press release issued by the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee. 

Kim previously served as Mayor from 2022- 2023 before being defeated by current Mayor John Safford in 2023. Prior to that, he served as Commissioner of Public Safety from 2005-2009. 

“Our local Democrats have spoken, and we need to prove that we hear them,”  Kim said in the release. “A local committee’s role has always been about building power and resources to help our candidates succeed, and moving forward, the SSDC is doubling down on this critical mission. While I may be a familiar face around city politics, I’m doggedly committed to recruiting and empowering new voices with the energy and expertise that can lead our candidates to victory, while keeping voters engaged and informed.” 

In the release, the Committee also announced that former Commissioner of Finance and current County Supervisor Minita Sanghvi and Former Accounts Commissioner Dillon Moran had both resigned their positions on the executive committee — among other resignations. 

The resignations come after the committee suffered major setbacks in the 2025 elections. While Democrats defeated Republicans Chuck Marshall for control of the Department of Public Works and George Ehinger for supervisor, they lost control of the Finance and Accounts Department while failing to unseat Safford for the Mayor’s seat. 

The press release addressed these losses and said they conducted surveys into what Democratic voters wanted to see from the party moving forward. According to the Committee, voters wanted to see new leadership and commitment to winning state races. 

As for Kim, he will serve in an interim capacity until a new Chairperson can be elected sometime later this year. 

Saratoga County Department of Public Works (DPW) and CHA Consulting, Inc. (CHA), in cooperation with the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), will hold a Public Hearing on Monday, March 16, 2026, at 6PM at the Saratoga County Fire Training Center, 6010 County Farm Rd, Ballston Spa, NY 12020.

The purpose of this meeting is to provide information about the NYS Route 50 (Doubleday Avenue) at Northline Road (County Route 45) Intersection Improvement Project in the Town of Milton. 

Individuals in attendance will be given the opportunity to provide oral and/or written comments about the project. Representatives of CHA will be available to discuss the project one-on-one. Additionally, details will be provided to show proposed highway right-of-way modifications involving property acquisitions, per the Eminent Domain Procedure Law.

The goals of this project are to enhance traffic flow, improve the safety of the intersection, and to upgrade pedestrian and bicycle facilities. Construction is scheduled for completion in 2027. This project is 80% federal and 20% county funded. 

Members of the public who are unable to attend the meeting may submit comments no later than March 30, 2026, to Eric Williams, P.E., Senior Project Manager, CHA Consulting, Inc., 3 Winners Circle, Suite 100, Albany, NY 12205.

The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors on Thursday, February 19, 2026, passed legislation to help reduce low-income seniors’ property tax burden. The Board increased the maximum exemption percentage from 50% to 65% for qualifying seniors in Saratoga County, the maximum exemption percentage allowed in New York State. 

“Providing this targeted property tax exemption for eligible seniors is a responsible way to deliver meaningful relief to Saratoga County residents living on fixed incomes who may be feeling the pressure of New York State’s rising cost of living,” Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Phil Barrett (Clifton Park) said,  “This important change at the county-level will help eligible residents maintain their quality of life and help them remain in their homes, close to family and friends, which ultimately strengthens our communities and reenforces the values that make Saratoga County such a special place to live.”

Over the past three years, the Board of Supervisors has significantly reduced the tax burden on property owners age 65 and older, increasing the qualifying income level by 50% and, by this latest action, increasing the maximum exemption percentage by 30%. 

Saratoga County has the lowest property tax rate in New York State at $1.77 per thousand of assessed value.

The Board’ s action follows a recent change in state law allowing for these increased exemption rates at the local level.  A public hearing was held on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at 4:30PM.

The Local Law takes effect immediately.

News- Bad Balls2 – Food seller Aldi has issued a product recall for thousands of pounds of contaminated meatballs. (Courtesy of USDA)

Food seller Aldi has issued a recall for Bremer Italian Style Meatballs after they were found to have metal in them. 

The recall was issued on Feb. 22 and applies to 32-oz. packages of meatballs with a best-buy date of Oct. 30, 2026 and a print time of 17:08- 18:20. According to the US Department of Agriculture, 9,462 pounds of meatballs produced on July 30, 2025  were possibly contaminated. The meatballs are made by Rosina foods in West Seneca, NY and packaged as “Bremer Family Size Italian Style Meatballs.”  

According to Aldi, the meatballs were sold in 37 states and territories across the US — including New York. Consumers who have purchased the meatballs are advised to throw them away or bring them back to Aldi for a refund. 

The USDA said that there have been no confirmed injuries or illnesses related to the contaminated meatballs.