Saratoga Springs Mayor Scott Johnson spoke of a second golden era for the city in his State of the City address Sunday, Feb. 3.
That era, if Johnson’s vision survives the tumultuous gantlet that has been city government the past few years, includes tax relief, fiscal responsibility, securing the city’s share of video lottery coffers, land preservation, affordable housing, and developing a greater stake in the future of horse racing.
Johnson said his vision builds on past successes of the city that have made it a world-class destination, especially in the past 30 years, he said. However, despite those successes, the city has been carrying heavy baggage, such as partisan politics, a rising cost of living and high taxes.
`There are challenges facing our city that require innovative solutions; solutions that require us all to work together in a spirit of collaboration toward the common good,` Johnson said.
The mayor proposed several new committees that will begin working on solutions to some of the city’s ongoing challenges. Johnson’s plan includes a tax relief committee and a capital construction committee to promote fiscal accountability in proposed capital improvements. In other areas, Johnson plans to revamp existing committees to take on open space preservation and to continue downtown revitalization and preservation. Johnson also outlined a plan to work closely with school districts to `control what can be controlled on school taxes.`
The freshmen mayor also laid out a strategy to revisit a Saratoga County sales tax formula that the city’s last administration withdrew from. Since the withdrawal from the plan, the city has seen less in city sales tax revenue.
Johnson also challenged Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s proposed budget, which proposes to decrease the city’s share of video lottery terminal revenue by $3.8 million in 2008 and half that amount in 2009. Under the plan, the city will see no revenue from VLTs beginning in 2010, even though the gaming facility is within city limits.
Johnson said he has been working with Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, R-Brunswick, to help reinstate Saratoga Spring’s share of the revenue.
City Council members welcomed the new initiatives to help stabilize the city’ revenue sources and counter the rising cost of living.
`I like what the mayor is saying. A lot of it is getting more creative, thinking outside the box; not to sound clichE, but that’s what it is,` said Finance Commissioner Ken Ivins.
However, incumbent Democrats, especially Public Safety Commissioner Ron Kim, took issue with Johnson’s vision and questioned if it was enough to do what needs to be done.
`If you don’t want to do something, put together a bunch of committees,` said Kim. `I think there were five (in the speech), three already exist. Are we going to address our infrastructure problems, or are we going to delay and deny?`
Kim spoke to the mayor’s proposal to form a Capital Construction Committee. At the top of its to-do list will likely be the hotly contested new Public Safety Building to replace the aging public safety and police force offices, Kim said.
The mayor recognized the need to improve working conditions and holding cells in the public safety offices in his speech. But there is a `lack of consensus` in the split City Council about the most practical solution, said Johnson. Whatever the agreement is, said Johnson, it must be the most cost effective and affordable.
Last estimates put costs for a new Public Safety Building at as much as $17 million. The City Council budgeted $8 million for a new building, and last year voted for tax increases that could cover debt service on the building, said Kim. It is those same tax increases — 8.65 percent — that Johnson said was unacceptable in his speech.
Johnson also made note of other needed capital improvements, such as an indoor recreational center, Saratoga Lake water project and improvements and expansion of the City Center. However, City Center improvements will not be funded by tax dollars, said Johnson.
Johnson said he will also be looking to clear any public misconceptions about council practice and policy `compounded` by the media, he said.
`If there is one thing that I have learned in my short time in office to date, it’s that there is much miscommunication and misunderstanding between City Hall and our community. Oftentimes, the miscommunication or misconceptions are compounded by what is or is not reported in the media,` Johnson said.
His solution: Establish a `Saratoga Speaks` program, a rotating series of Town Hall styled meetings to help clear up the `miscommunication` and `misconceptions.`
Outside the five minutes speakers are allotted at City Hall meetings, citizens will have the opportunity to engage public officials one-on-one at the rotating `Saratoga Speaks` forums.
The forums are part of larger formula that will include `the collective wisdom` of the people and former city mayors to act as a think tank to help guide future policy.“