Warning

JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 752

Displaying items by tag: politics

Thursday, 30 September 2021 12:31

Let The Debates Begin: Saratoga Springs Elections

With election day just around the corner, campaign season is in full swing, and candidates are busy working on their platforms.

On Tuesday, Oct. 12 and Thursday, Oct. 21, Saratoga TODAY will be hosting live debates at the Saratoga Springs City Center. The debates will feature candidates vying for all five Saratoga Springs City Council seats as well as the two chairs representing the city at the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors. 

As of the Sept. 15 deadline both Republicans and Independents had responded that they would be in attendance. Discussions on Covid protocols delayed a commitment from the Democrats. However, on Tuesday September 28, all Democrats agreed to attend the debates. Attendance will be limited to invited guests only. Both debates be available in real-time on Facebook Live.

Readers can send in questions for possible inclusion to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SARATOGA TODAY'S DEBATE SCHEDULE:

Tuesday, October 12

Public Works: 6:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Accounts: 6:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Supervisor: 7:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, October 21

Finance: 6:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Public Safety: 6:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Mayor: 7:00 – 7:30 p.m.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Election Day is Nov. 2. There are 17 candidates on the ballot running for five City Council seats, and six candidates seeking either of the two supervisor seats to represent Saratoga Springs at the County Board of Supervisors. 

Under the city’s Commission form of Governing, each of the five council officeholders carry equal weight when it comes to city matters – that is, each of the five votes counts as one. 

In the upcoming council election, four of the five seats will be filled with new members to that seat.  Only DPW Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco is seeking re-election for the seat he currently holds. Current Public Safety Commissioner Robin Dalton, and former Public Safety Commissioner Ron Kim, are each seeking election as mayor. 

Two seats are up for vote as City Supervisor. Incumbents Tara Gaston and Matthew Veitch are seeking re-election. Four additional candidates are also vying for the two seats which are voted on individually.   

Saratoga Springs list of candidates:

Mayor: Robin Dalton (SST); Ronald Kim (D, RS), Maxwell Rosenbaum (WF); Heidi Owen West (R,C).

Commissioner of Public Safety:  David Labate (WF); Tracey Labelle (R,C); James Montagnino (D, RS).

Commissioner of Public Works: Donald Reeder (WF); Anthony “Skip” Scirocco (R, C); Domenique Yermolayev (D, FN). 

Commissioner of Accounts: Samantha Guerra (R,C,WF); Dillon Moran (D, RS), Angela Rella (AC).

Commissioner of Finance: Sierra Hunt (WF); Adam Israel (SST); Joanne Kiernan (R,C); Minita Sanghvi (D, RS). 

Supervisor (two seats): Bruce Altimar (WF); Tara Gaston (D); Gabriel O’Brien (WF); John Safford (R,C); Matthew Veitch (R,C); Shaun Wiggins (RS). 

Parties: D (Democratic); R (Republican); C (Conservative); WF (Working Families); FN (Functional); SST (Saratoga Stronger Together); RS (Resilient Saratoga); AC (Accountability); 

Ballot Proposals:     

In addition to the five council seats and two supervisor seats, city voters may cast a Yes or No vote on five statewide ballot proposals. The five are: 

1. Amending the Apportionment and Redistricting Process; 

2. Right to Clean Air, Clean Water, and a Healthful Environment; 

3. Eliminating Ten-Day-Advance Voter Registration Requirement; 

4. Authorizing No-Excuse Absentee Ballot Voting; 

5. Increasing the Jurisdiction of the New York City Civil Court. 

 

Ballot Proposal 1: Amending the Apportionment and Redistricting Process

This proposed constitutional amendment would:

• Freeze the number of state senators at 63

• Amend the process for the counting of the state’s population

• Delete certain provisions that violate the United States Constitution, repeal and amend certain requirements for the appointment of the co-executive directors of the redistricting commission and amend the manner of drawing district lines for congressional and state legislative offices. 

The purpose of the proposal is to amend and repeal portions of the state constitutional amendment adopted by voters in 2014 that relate to the way district lines for congressional and state legislative offices are determined.

Published in News
Friday, 09 November 2018 14:44

Saratoga Election 2018

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Similar to the higher-than-normal turnout of voters across the country Tuesday, the tallied number of locals casting ballots in Saratoga County on Election Day is expected to register among some of the highest in recent local midterm history. 

County-wide, more than 91,000 votes were counted regarding the 2018 vote - nearly 60 percent of active county voters, and dwarfing previous mid-term election tallies. Those elections - held in 2014, 2010 and 2006 – typically have returned 70,000 to 84,000 voters.

Those 2018 figures have yet to include absentee or affidavit ballots. When the Board of Elections officially certifies the vote, the tally could reach triple figures, which is typically in range with Presidential Election years.

The county Board of Elections is currently organizing data related specifically to city voters on Election Day 2018, but those figures are not yet available for comparison to previous years.

 

PROPOSAL TO CHANGE CITY CHARTER DEFEATED

In Saratoga Springs, a proposal to amend the City Charter was soundly defeated, with 6,537 votes against the change and 3,610 in favor. A second ballot question to further amend the Charter by providing two additional City Council members for decision-making purposes met a similar fate. 

“I respect the outcome and the will of the people and the votes cast,” said city Attorney Vincent DeLeonardis, chairman of the Charter Review Commission.

A 2017 City Charter referendum which proposed a greater change – to change the city’s form of government - was narrowly defeated last November, by a 4,458 - 4,448 vote. That Charter Commission was headed by city residents and conducted 16 months of study. This time around, the commission board was run by City Council members and city staff as selected by the mayor, and proposed more modest changes.

“The very subject of Charter is contentious in this city. It has a very long-rooted and deep history and I respect that,” DeLeonardis said Tuesday night.  “I respect that the debate over our form of government is going to continue, but I think there was some confusion over this round as to what was on the ballot. This year, the ‘form’ of our government was not on the ballot. It was just an effort to update and amend the current form of government we have and the form of government the voters decided to keep, just last year.”

DeLeonardis said he was pleased with the group’s effort in regard to public awareness and education, but that those efforts of providing information “had to compete with misinformation and disinformation.”  The status of any future study and public vote regarding the City Charter, DeLeonardis said, “is up to the people and up to the elected officials.”

    

DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN SEATS MAINTAIN STATUS QUO

In the 20th Congressional District – which includes parts of Saratoga Springs as well as Charlton, Clifton Park, Halfmoon, Malta, Mechanicville, Stillwater and Ballston, Democrat incumbent Paul Tonko bested GOP challenger Joe Vitollo by a near 2-to-1 margin.

 “I am very thankful and humbled for the support of the voters,” Tonko told supports at the Inn at Saratoga, where Democrats gathered on Election Night. “Whether they voted for me or not, whether they voted or not, I’m there and I want to bring us together in the 20th Congressional District to address the issues of our times.”

With Democrats set to regain control of the House in January, Tonko offered a glimpse of the party’s priorities moving forward.  

“We have pledged as a Democratic Caucus in the House, If chosen to lead the House of Representatives, we need most certainly to not repeal the Affordable Health Care Act, but to strengthen it, and to strengthen it in a way that absolutely includes protecting the pre-existing clause,” he said.    

In the 21st Congressional District – which includes parts of Saratoga, Galway, Greenfield, Milton, Moreau, Northumberland, Providence, Wilton, and some parts of Stillwater and Ballston – Republican incumbent Elise Stefanik defeated Democrat challenger Tedra Cobb by a 55.9 percent to 41.2 percent margin.

In the 43rd Senate District – which includes parts of Saratoga Springs as well as Greenfield, Halfmoon, Mechanicville, Moreau, Northumberland, Saratoga, Stillwater, and Wilton – Daphne Jordan – a prodigy of Kathy Marchione, garnered 63,540 votes to defeat Democrat Aaron Gladd – who secured 53,902 votes. The seat is currently occupied by Kathy Marchione, who received the GOP nod in 2012 after fellow Republican Sen. Roy McDonald voted to back gay marriage. 

At the Holiday Inn in Saratoga Springs where Republicans gathered on Election Night, Jordan thanked Marchione - “my friend and mentor” - as well as fellow Republicans Chris Gibson and Joe Bruno.

“I’m a mom, a former small business person and a community leader,” Jordan told supporters. “I’m a real fighter for upstate.”

In the 49th Senate District – which includes Ballston, Charlton, Clifton Park, Galway, Malta, Milton, Providence and parts of Saratoga Springs, Republican incumbent Jim Tedisco secured more than 58 percent of the vote to defeat Democrat challenger Michelle Ostrelich. 

Republican Mary Beth Walsh, running unopposed, secured the 112th Assembly District. The district includes Ballston, Charlton, Clifton Park, Galway, Greenfield, Halfmoon, Milton and Providence.  And Democrat incumbent Carrie Woerner retained her seat in the 113th Assembly District, defeating Republican challenger Morgan Zegers by a 28,199 – 21,737 vote tally.

“It truly takes a village to win a campaign and you are my village,” Woerner told supporters of the district, which includes Malta, Mechanicville, Moreau, Northumberland, Saratoga Springs, Saratoga, Stillwater and Wilton.

“I am so looking forward to working with my colleagues in the Assembly and my new colleagues in the State Senate…to fight for women’s reproductive health, to ensure quality health care, to once and for all fix the funding formula so our rural schools, our schools that have high rates of poverty - get the kind of funding they need,” Woerner said. “And to make sure that we have quality farms that are viable and continue to produce good, locally-produced nutritious food for all of us to eat.”    

Republicans Karen A. Heggen and Andrew B. Jarosh, retained their seats as County District Attorney, and county Treasurer, respectively, after running unopposed.

 

STATE

Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo was re-elected to a third term by statewide voters – although Saratoga County voters rejected Cuomo, instead choosing Republican Marc Molinaro with 54.5 percent of the vote to Cuomo’s 37.6 percent     

Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand was re-elected to the U.S. Senate, defeating Republican challenger Chele Farley by a 2-to-1 margin statewide, although in Saratoga County, that margin of victory was significantly closer, with Gillibrand securing 49,000 votes to Farley’s 40,900.  

Democrat incumbents state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul also won re-election; Democrat Letitia James was elected as the attorney general.  

According to the New York State Board of Elections, as of Nov. 1, Saratoga County counts 153,325 active registered voters. The breakdown: 39.2 percent are registered as Republicans, 27.5 are registered as Democrats, 25.1 percent registered voters opted for no specific party affiliation, and the remaining approximate 8 percent are comprised of members who designated their affiliation with the Independence, Conservative, Green, Working Families, or other party.    

In the city of Saratoga Springs specifically, the 2016 Presidential Election 14,239 city votes cast their ballot.

Published in News
Thursday, 10 January 2013 19:26

Local Gun Show To Go On Despite Protest

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The NEACA Arms Fair, a gun show scheduled for January 12-13 at the Saratoga City Center, will go on as planned despite over a dozen people calling for its cancellation during the public comment period of the City Center Authority’s January 9 meeting.

Published in News

Blotter

  • New York State Police The New York State Police announced that it issued 5,576 tickets during this year’s St. Patrick’s Day enforcement initiative. The campaign began on Friday, March 15, and continued until Sunday, March 17. During the campaign, funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, State Police utilized sobriety checkpoints, additional DWI patrols, and underage drinking and sales to minors detail. State Police also ticketed distracted drivers who use handheld electronic devices. State Troopers arrested 132 people for DWI and investigated 199 crashes, which resulted in 25 people being injured and no fatalities. As part of the enforcement, Troopers also…

Property Transactions

  • BALLSTON Heather DiCaprio sold property at 473 Garrett Rd to Justine Levine for $288,000 Sharon Willman sold property at 99 Jenkins Rd to Charles Lemley for $165,000 CORINTH George Montena sold property at 422 Oak St to Stephen James for $142,250 Mark Makler sold property at 313 Oak St to Sabrina Sinagra for $195,000 GREENFIELD Landlord Services of Upstate New York sold property at 1935 NYS Rt 9N to Cochise Properties LLC for $210,000 MALTA  Linda LaBarge sold property at 35 Snowberry Rd to Qu Haozheng for $270,000 Dennis Mitchell sold property at 60 Village Circle North to BGRS Relocation…
  • NYPA
  • Saratoga County Chamber
  • BBB Accredited Business
  • Discover Saratoga
  • Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association