State Of The City: Earlier Last Call, Charter Review Among 2025 Plans

“We celebrate the idea that our city is not just
 a collection of streets and buildings, but a living, breathing symphony…”

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A new commission will be appointed to review the City Charter and recommend potential changes, and an earlier Last Call for local bars were among the 2025 agenda items announced during the mayor’s State of the City Address at the Skip Scirocco/ Saratoga Music Hall in Saratoga Springs on Jan. 23. 

All five council members and both city supervisors were each allotted time to address the assembled crowd, which included former city Mayor Scott Johnson and current state Sen. Jim Tedisco. 

Framed by a trio of flags, one each representing city, state and country, city council members and supervisors reflected upon achievements in 2024 – the opening of a new fire station among them, potential future challenges, and plans for 2025, from addressing heavy truck traffic navigating local streets to anticipating the return of the Belmont on Broadway festival.  

City Mayor John Safford announced he will be establishing a commission that will be chaired by Vince DeLeonardis to review the City Charter “and make recommendations for improvement.” 

Supervisor Matt Veitch spoke about a decades-long debate involving attempts to institute earlier bar closing times in Saratoga Springs, explaining that any such measure may only be achieved if first adopted on a countywide basis with county support. 

“The time is right for this to be discussed with my fellow colleagues on the Board of Supervisors,” said Veitch, who serves as vice chairperson of the county supervisors board. “I believe we will have some momentum on this moving forward in 2025.” Veitch additionally reported that in the county’s just-received year-over-year sales tax numbers for January, “we are trending negative for the first time since 2020.” 

Supervisor Michele Madigan highlighted a report released by the state comptroller on Jan. 22 detailing that homelessness in New York state has more than doubled between January 2022 and January 2024, specifically increasing 138% in Glens Falls, Saratoga Springs and surrounding counties. 

This year’s SOTC Address takes place during a week when Early Voting is underway for a special city election to seat an elected DPW Commissioner for the remainder of the 2025 calendar year. The DPW department spearheaded last year’s inaugural paid parking program in the city; nothing was said during the SOTC regarding whether that parking plan may return this year.  

City Finance Commissioner Minita Sanghvi confirmed that she will not seek re-election in November.

Poet Laureate Joseph Bruchac opened the evening with two poems – one named “Harmony,” another “Civility” – two themes city Mayor Safford has riffed on since taking office in January 2024. 

“Words spoken calmly with others in mind, like the instruments in an orchestra, they blend into a symphony that finds a good place,” said Bruchac to begin the night. It was a theme city Mayor Sanford returned to at the night’s conclusion one hour and fifteen minutes later. 

“We celebrate the idea that our city is not just a collection of streets and buildings, but a living, breathing symphony…the great composition of our shared life,” the mayor said. “This year, our song continues.”