Saratoga County Supervisors Approve $50K for Belmont on Broadway, Urge State Legislative Action to Restrict Sale of Kratom
BALLSTON SPA — During its monthly meeting, held March 18 at the county complex in Ballston Spa, the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors approved executing an agreement with the Saratoga County Foundation Inc. for $50,000 in support of 2025 Belmont on Broadway Festival activities.
The funds are targeted for economic development and tourism promotions within the county.
The six-day “Belmont on Broadway” celebration is currently being organized to coincide with the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in Saratoga Springs in June.
The Saratoga County Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit charitable organization managed by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
In Other County News
* A board resolution was approved 16-0 urging the New York State Legislature and Gov. Hochul take legislative action to restrict the sale of kratom across the state.
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a psychoactive substance derived from the leaves of a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia, which has been marketed and sold as an herbal supplement with claims of pain relief, mood enhancement, and opioid withdrawal treatment, according to the resolution.
In February, Ballston Spa resident Cari Scribner addressed the Board of Supervisors during the monthly meeting’s Public Input segment and spoke about her son, Nicholas, who died last November at the age of 27.
“Nick had a very common affliction: insomnia. Since he was a child, he could not sleep,” Scribner told the Board. “A friend told him about an herbal, all-natural energy enhancer to overcome fatigue with no side effects. This substance was kratom.”
When Nick was 17, a doctor prescribed medicine to help with insomnia. “In an effort to take something from nature rather than from a pharmaceutical company, my son chose this all-natural substance,” Scribner said. “And that choice ended his life.”
The United States Food and Drug Administration has not approved kratom for medical use and has warned of its potential health risks, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration has identified Kratom as a substance of concern due to its opioid-like properties and potential for misuse, according to the county resolution.
Multiple states and local governments across the country have taken steps to regulate or ban the sale of kratom due to growing concerns over public health and safety. In New York State, the sale of kratom is unrestricted.
The Board of Supervisors measure requests that legislative action be taken “whether through regulation, age restrictions, or an outright ban,” to restrict the sale across the state.
*The Board approved a resolution proclaiming April 2025 “Donate Life Month” In Saratoga County. The measure encourages county employees to wear blue and green on April 11 to raise awareness of the need for organ and tissue donations.
Statistically, one person is added to the organ transplant waiting list every eight minutes in the U.S. More than 100,000 men, women and children are currently awaiting organ transplants. More than 6,000 people nationally and 400 people in New York State die annually because the organ they need is not donated in time, according to the resolution.
Donate Life New York State, a non-profit comprised of organ and tissue recovery organizations, health professionals, and individuals affected by donation, encourage employees of participating agencies and local governments to wear their official colors on “Blue and Green Day,” held on April 11. Anyone 16 years of age or older can register with the New York State Donate Life Registry.
*A resolution was approved to execute an agreement with Amazing Grace Transportation, LLC, of Schenectady, for the transportation of senior citizens in the towns of Charlton, Edinburg, Galway, Providence, and Saratoga. The term of the agreement is from April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026, at a daily rate of $450, with the total expended not to exceed $90,450 for the twelve-month term.