Black Friday marks the official start of the holiday shopping season across the country, and Saratoga Springs prepares to welcome in the season with huge savings throughout the downtown area. On November 29th, a select group of nearly 20 stores in downtown Saratoga Springs and the surrounding area will be participating in a group sale promotion, offering a variety of discounts on the day after Thanksgiving
Local merchants look forward to this day as an opportunity to offer customers once-a-year savings in appreciation of their support of local business throughout the year! “Black Friday Participant” window signs and balloons will differentiate the storefronts of the businesses who are participating in the Black Friday Saratoga 12th year event.
Retailers participating in the Black Friday Saratoga Group Sale are each offering their own custom deals and opening at a variety of different hours, with some opening as early as 6am, and others opening later in the morning. Discounts in some stores are as deep as 60% off select merchandise. For more information about the Black Friday Saratoga shopping event, go to www.facebook.com/blackfridaysaratoga.
The annual Victorian Streetwalk will take place in Saratoga Springs on December 5.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The 38th Annual Victorian Streetwalk will take place 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5 in downtown Saratoga Springs.
The annual event, presented by the Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association, includes a Tree Lighting Ceremony, live entertainment, Santa & Mrs. Claus at the Cottage, and the Festival Trees at the City Center.
This year, “Friends of the Victorian Streetwalk” will be selling 8-inch ornaments to the community that will be used to decorate the downtown Christmas tree for years to come. The decorated ornaments cost $100 and those purchasing them may choose four words to include on the ornament. Local calligrapher, Starry Eyed Letter Co. will write the family name or message on the ornament. Funds will go towards decorating the downtown Christmas tree.
The ornaments will be sold via the website: https://www.saratogaspringsdowntown.com/
Ornaments will also be sold the evening of the Victorian Streetwalk, via a table near the Christmas tree. The hope is that ornaments that are pre-sold may make it onto this year’s tree, and those sold after the streetwalk will be stored and used to decorate next year.
Brookside Museum Holiday Market opens for the season Nov. 30.
BALLSTON SPA — The annual Artisan’s Market at the Saratoga County History Center at Brookside Museum will be opening on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 30.
The 24th annual market will run through Dec. 24 and will feature only handmade/ hand crafted products created by local artisans. Items include: soaps, lotions, ornaments, jewelry, syrups, scarves, ceramics, hats and more.
Each item sold supports both SCHC @ Brookside Museum and local artisans. The Artisan Market is held at SCHC @ Brookside Museum, 21 Fairground Ave., Ballston Spa.
The 2024 hours are: Tuesdays to Thursdays, noon – 4 p.m.; Fridays noon to 5 p.m. and Saturdays & Sundays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
SARATOGA SPRINGS —Saratoga Photo Hikes: Winter Photography & Hiking series is an idea born from artist Louis Valenti’s passion for both hiking and photography.
The series is designed to bring beginner photographers together to photograph nature while introducing participants to Saratoga’s most stunningly beautiful and popular parks, trails, and preserves as well as raising environmental awareness by creating an opportunity for individuals to connect with nature on a deeper and more personal level.
These 90-minute winter photo hikes, free of charge, will explore the uniqueness and beauty of the Geyser Creek trail which features springs, falls, spouting water and so much more. The Photo Hikes will begin on Sunday, Dec. 1, and will be held every Sunday through Dec. 22, from 10:30 a.m. – noon.
This series is made possible through the Saratoga Community Arts Grant Program funded by the NYS Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Reservations are required. Contact Louis Valenti at 518-438-1141 or by email at: LouisValentiPhotography@gmail.com.
The hike will depart at 10:30 a.m. from the SPAC parking lot, section A, row 3. Please come prepared for a 1.4-mile hike including appropriate clothing and footwear. Level of hike difficulty: easy. Persons under 17 must be accompanied by an adult. No pets. Remember to bring your camera or iPhone.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs Planning Board continues its public meetings this week with three applications under consideration:
-Unitarian Universalistic Congregation – site plan review for the construction of a 8,844 square foot place of worship and associated site work at 400 Louden Road.
-Development – Washington Street and West Avenue. A land disturbance activity permit is sought for site work, including filling and grading approx. 2.5-acres, to provide for future development at 239 Washington St.
-Subdivision. Subdivision – Preliminary plat review of a proposed 20-lot subdivision would result in 36 new residential units at 25 New St.
Meetings are held at City Hall and open to the public. For times and dates of meetings of the city’s three Land Use Boards – including the Planning Board, go to: saratoga-springs.org.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Former Public Works Commissioner Jason Golub and Deputy Public Works Commissioner Joseph O’Neill are slated to appear in Saratoga Springs City Court Nov. 21 to respond to allegations in connection with an official misconduct misdemeanor charge, according to an advisory released by Public Safety Commissioner Tim Coll.
As of Nov. 13, documents specifically related to the charges and allegations were not available for review at city court.
“On Nov. 1, 2024, Uniform Appearance Tickets were issued by the Saratoga Springs Police Department to former Public Works Commissioner Jason Golub and Deputy Public Works Commissioner Joseph O’Neill directing them to appear in City Court,” Coll wrote. “For further clarification, this matter originated with the Office of the New York State Comptroller. It was thereafter referred to the New York State Police who referred it to the Saratoga Springs Police Department for investigation.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS —New interactive kiosks intended to enhance visitor experiences and create a customized travel experience for visitors have been installed in Saratoga Springs.
The TrueOmni Visitor Experience kiosks, are located at the Saratoga Springs Heritage Area Visitor Center across from Congress Park, and the Saratoga Springs City Center, Discover Saratoga announced in a press release this month.
The technology used in the kiosks changes the way visitors engage and connect with the destination. Visitors are able to access local business listings and attractions, view descriptions and maps, find ADA accessible stops and experiences, see current events, and plan out itineraries.
Information can be texted or emailed to users’ phones, so they have local information on-the-go.
“They pull our website and allow visitors to interact with our member listings. We receive information on what visitors are looking for so that we can create experiences that better serve their unique needs,” Darryl Leggieri, president of Discover Saratoga said in a statement. Discover Saratoga is the county’s official tourism promotion agency.
SARATOGA COUNTY —Six days after Congresswoman Elise Stefanik was elected to her sixth term to represent New York’s 21st District, President-elect Donald Trump picked the town of Saratoga resident to serve as his ambassador to the United Nations.
Stefanik (R,C) was first elected to the House in 2014 and defeated challenger Paula Collins (D, WF) 60.3% to 36.5% districtwide on Election Day 2024. By accepting the Trump nomination, Stefanik gives up her seat in the district and opens up the position to be settled in a district-wide special election in 2025.
The 21st Congressional District currently encompasses more than one dozen counties, mostly in the Northern section of upstate New York. Included is a portion of Saratoga County that is home to about 41,000 actively registered district voters, and which represents residents in the towns of Corinth, Day, Edinburg, Greenfield, Hadley, Moreau, Northumberland, Providence and Saratoga in their entirety, as well as those in the northernmost section of Wilton.
The post as ambassador to the United Nations requires U.S. Senate confirmation.
“I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the United States Senate,” Stefanik said in a statement released Nov. 11. “I stand ready to advance President Donald J. Trump’s restoration of America First peace through strength leadership on the world stage on Day One at the United Nations.”
“It will certainly be a high visibility position,” said Bob Turner, associate professor of Political Science at Skidmore College. “Donald Trump has signaled his distrust of the U.N. and of multilateral policy-making in general and whoever is in that position is going to be in charge of trying to impose (the president-elect’s) policies on the UN. When it comes to things like NATO or Ukraine or Israel-Palestine, there is going to be a lot of heat that will be generated at the UN.”
Edward Reilly Stettinius, Jr. – who served as Secretary of State under Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman – became the first U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in the mid-1940’s. There have been 30 Representative of the U.S.A. to the United Nations in all, including John Bolton (2005-2006), Nikki Haley (2017-2018), and most recently Linda Thomas-Greenfield – who was nominated by Pres. Joe Biden in January 2021 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate one month later.
On a national scale politically, the anticipated pending departures of House Republicans Elise Stefanik, Mike Waltz and Matt Gaetz – each selected by President-elect Trump as appointments for his administration – leaves the GOP with three less active members at the start of the new Congress in 2025 and vacant until filled via special elections.
“It is a little surprising, because while it seems Republicans will gain control of the House, their margin is going to be in the single digits. To lose a reliable supporter of the president I think took people by surprise,” Turner said.
Stefanik also serves as House Republican Conference chair. “I think had she decided to stay there certainly would have been an opportunity for her to become the first female Republican speaker of the House,” Turner said.
A Special Election for Congressional District 21
It is anticipated a Special Election to fill the Congressional seat in District 21 will take place sometime in the spring of 2025.
When U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik officially resigns from the House, a 10-day window will open for Gov. Kathy Hochul to declare a special election to fill the seat vacancy in the 21st Congressional District, with that election to be held about 70 days later. For example, were Stefanik to officially resign when Trump is inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2025, the special election would then be held in early-to-mid April.
Members of the House of Representatives under normal circumstances serve full two-year terms; The seat in District 21 would be vacant until the Special Election, and then once filled, up for reelection in November 2026.
The candidates for the special election will be selected by party leaders. No party primaries will be held. The 21st Congressional district includes more than a dozen counties – Warren, Washington and parts of Saratoga among them – and multiple county committees are charged with coming up with a consensus to put forward their party’s respective candidate.
“My family and I are excited for this next chapter in New York and Washington to work hard to serve our country on President Donald Trump’s team,” Stefanik said in a statement. “No matter where this journey takes us, Upstate New York – the cradle of the American Revolution – will always be my heart and home.”
BALLSTON SPA — Saratoga County officials have proposed a $432 million budget for 2025, up from $410.1 million budget adopted for this year, and the $378.3 million budget adopted for 2023.
The County’s 2025 tentative budget reduces the property tax rate for the fourth consecutive year, and “maintaining its position as having the lowest property tax rate of all 55 upstate counties,” according to the county statement, released on Nov. 6.
Budget Workshops are slated to take place this month with a proposed Public Hearing tentatively slated to take place Dec. 3 and proposed budget adoption on Dec. 11.
The tentative $432 million budget:
-Keeps the levy within the state’s property tax cap and reduces the property tax rate by 5%. Tax rate: $1.87 per $1,000 of assessed value. This equates to a 15% reduction in the property tax rate over the past four years.
– Sales tax revenue projection for 2025: $170 million. The conservative projection comes as the County saw a slower growth rate during the second half of 2024, a trend which officials expect to continue in 2025.
“In the face of higher inflation, unfunded mandates, and a sluggish economy, the 2025 tentative budget is a testament that Saratoga County’s conservative fiscal practices and responsible spending choices that help to maintain the County’s low property tax rate while also delivering robust programs and services our residents rely on,” Saratoga Springs Supervisor and Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Matthew Veitch said in a statement.
In 2025, unfunded state and federal mandates will cost Saratoga County more than $80 million. According to the county release: This is more than the county’s share of the property tax levy, requiring 100% of the County property tax to be allocated to unfunded mandates, which includes Medicaid, temporary assistance, early intervention, among many others. The burden of unfunded mandates was further strained in 2024 when the State shifted federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage payments from localities to its own coffers.
-Saratoga County continues to invest in its public safety workforce, welcoming more than 30 new deputies over the past 12 months and ensuring ongoing funding for key training initiatives for seasoned staff as well as new hires. These efforts supported in the 2025 budget will ensure first responders have the necessary skills and equipment to respond to man-made or natural disasters, such as the July 2024 tornado in the towns of Edinburg and Day, as well as day-to-day public safety matters.
-The 2025 tentative budget prioritizes: resources for health and human services initiatives and programs, funding and staffing for social services programs residents of all ages depend on, including early intervention, child welfare, foster care, Medicaid, and temporary assistance. In 2025, the County will also continue to pursue a permanent Code Blue Shelter location to help address homelessness.
-The proposed budget also continues the County’s commitment to veterans. With the largest veteran population in the Capital District, Saratoga County’s proposed 2025 budget provides support for the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support program, which helps veterans re-assimilate to civilian life.
-Saratoga County continues to support youth and families through funding for programs that encourage youth to abstain from drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and vaping. This includes welcoming back its special speaker’s series for school districts, which addresses addiction and empowers students to choose abstinence. The tentative budget also provides for increased funding for the Adolescent Tobacco Use Prevention Act (ATUPA) program to prevent the sale of tobacco products, electronic cigarettes, and accessories to anyone under the age of 21.
-Environmental health expansion: the 2025 tentative budget provides for a funding increase of more than $1 million for the Department of Health for technology upgrades including a new online payment and permitting system and clean water supply testing equipment.
-Elections security and integrity initiatives: to ensure safe and secure elections across Saratoga County, investments include equipment upgrades, including new voting machines, and staff training.
-Commitment to preserving open space: maintaining its partnership with Saratoga PLAN as land manager for the Graphite Range Community Forest and with its expansion of the popular Zim Smith Trail, which sees more than 300,000 travelers annually.
-Economic development: partnerships with organizations such as SEDC and Discover Saratoga as well as support of the 250th Anniversary of the Battles of Saratoga commemoration and the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga.
For more information, to view the budget brief, and to read the full 2025 tentative budget, visit https://www.saratogacountyny.gov/county-budgets/.
