The economic downturn will continue to be a big problem for the City of Saratoga Springs next year, according to Mayor Scott Johnson, and the best way to fight its effects is through fiscal conservatism.
That was overwhelmingly the message of Johnson’s State of the City address, delivered Sunday, Jan. 25, at the Saratoga Springs City Center. Speaking for about 40 minutes, Johnson painted a troubling picture of the year ahead, but in a nod to President Barack Obama, also urged the city to tackle problems responsibly and as a unified community.
The state of our city remains strong and committed as ever to preserve and enhance our quality of life, said Johnson. `We must at this time make the tough and perhaps unpopular decisions to ensure fiscal responsibility. The charge to our City Council is obvious: Fiscal conservatism, better management and improved efficiency. If nothing else, a tax-and-spend policy has no place in our current approach.`
Though the mayor’s calls to rein in spending were met with applause from the gathered officials and dignitaries, he stressed that many of the initiatives to build up services and infrastructure are still within reach, including plans for a public safety building. The City Council is leaning toward instating paid parking downtown to fund the project.
`This is the first real opportunity for the city to provide a needed service without overburdening the taxpayer,` said Johnson, adding that paid parking is `the only realistic source of revenue to pay for these services.`
He maintained an unflinching stance on the construction of an indoor recreation center at the Southside Rec Fields, saying that to put off the already bonded project would be fiscally irresponsible.
`To now abandon the project would make one thing certain: You, the taxpayer, would lose at least $1 million that can never be recouped.`
Johnson did say that the city would have to pull back on other fronts. Plans to develop a waterfront park were scaled back during this year’s budget process, and he said that realizing the full potential of the property will probably have to be deferred until fairer times, as will the improvement of emergency response east of the Northway.
With state video lottery terminal aid cut in half, passing a budget without a tax hike was a bipartisan effort, said Johnson. He criticized Albany for pulling the money, though.
`In the end, these cuts will only have an effect on overburdened, local government by shifting the burden, not reducing it,` Johnson said.
Johnson touched on other notable events of 2008 in his speech, including AMD’s commitment to build in Saratoga County, the award of grant money for the Geyser Road Trail and the study of the city’s zoning ordinance. The mayor praised the accomplishments of the Saratoga Springs Housing Authority, and issued a strongly worded opinion to its detractors in the ongoing affordable housing debate.
`Affordable housing is not the ruination of your neighborhood. As stated on prior occasions, the unfortunate truth is that many of our neighborhoods are still unwilling to have affordable housing nearby,` said Johnson. `Overall, that still remains the largest obstacle to development of more affordable housing throughout our city.`
As a signal of his commitment to bipartisanship, the Republican mayor asked Lou Schneider, former chairman of the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee, to introduce him.
`I asked myself, why would he pick me?` said Schneider. `I concluded that I have seen Mayor Johnson doesn’t look at issues in a partisan way he looks at problems as a way of bringing people together.`
Not all Democrats shared Schneider’s view, though. The committee issued a response on Tuesday that blasted Johnson’s speech as `self-serving` and said his enthusiasm for fiscal reform `has been non-existent in his administration.`
The statement went on to criticize a recent $270,000 settlement with the DEC, the target of this year’s budget cuts, the approval of a new city phone system and the ongoing negotiation of four of the six city union contracts, which is racking up legal fees.
`In sum, the mayor’s State of the City was mere words, unsupported by actual facts or his own record. His first year has seen hostility, no civility to the community at large, wasteful spending rather than fiscal conservatism, and extreme partisanship rather than bipartisanship,` according to the Democratic Committee statement.“