Pledges to serve the city of Saratoga Springs in the best way possible and warnings of difficult yet manageable times ahead were expressed by members of the City Council at the Inauguration Ceremony on New Year’s Day. Council members’ families, friends and residents packed the City Center for the noon ceremony. Sen. Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga, and Assemblyman Jim Tedisco, R-Glenville, were also in attendance.
The only new councilmember to be sworn in was Richard Wirth, commissioner of public safety. He was welcomed by Mayor Scott Johnson and the rest of the council as the new kid on the block and said he looked forward to upholding the responsibilities he was elected to fulfill.
`The city charter states the Commissioner of Public Safety shall be responsible for the protection of city residents and property from crime, fires, hazards, disorder, natural disaster. I accept these responsibilities and intend to fulfill these obligations by every means at my disposal. I’m confident that the brave and dedicated members of the fire, police and public safety departments will be there for you too,` said Wirth.
Wirth also promised to find better ways to achieve a balanced budget and said he wanted to work cooperatively with the council to make this happen.
`We cannot continue to balance the city’s budget on the backs of taxpayers. We must loik outside the box for new sources of revenue if we’re to maintain our position as ‘the jewel of Upstate New York.’ I pledge to work closely with each and every member of the city council so we can guide the city back on the road to a cost effective and balanced budget,` said Wirth. `The council must work as a team to make informed decisions there will be difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions to make but I will make them with the best interest of the city in mind and not of any particular group or special interest.`
Wirth appointed Frank J. Dudla as his deputy commissioner, citing his previous knowledge and experience within the department as beneficial and encouraging.
Johnson said he would save most of his comments for his State of the City Address later this month, but that the most important thing was to approach the New Year with a renewed attitude and commitment to work collectively as a council.
`With a new year and city council in place, we have new opportunities to put aside any differences and better work together for the best interest of our city I’m confident we can begin to better accomplish the city’s business and end the politics of deception,` said Johnson, who said with times uncertain it is critical for the council to unite and not divide.
`Today, I pledge to you my best efforts to help lead our city and be a voice of reason. Thanks for your trust, I will not let you down. My door is always open to all of you,` said Johnson.
Johnson reappointed his current mayoral staff: Deputy Mayor Shauna Sutton, Executive Assistant Therese Connolly, City Attorney Joseph Scala and Assistant City Attorney Anthony Izzo.
John Franck, commissioner of accounts, used humor to thank the council, former council members and his family for their work and support. He reappointed Michele Boxley as deputy commissioner of accounts.
Commissioner of Finance Ken Ivins reflected on what the council set out to accomplish in the past and vowed to do a better job achieving that this time around.
`We had a lot of plans. Unfortunately the economy kind of took over and made us refocus what we had to do and where we were going. The next few years were filled with trials and tribulation but I promise to do the best I can do to help this city through the storm,` said Ivins, who stressed that teamwork will be the key and challenged his fellow council members to join him on the journey.
Kate Jarosh was reappointed as deputy commissioner of finance.
Disagreement, debate and discussion are welcome in 2010, according to Commissioner of Public Works Anthony Scirocco, as long as it’s constructive and moves towards a common goal. He appointed Tim Cogan as deputy commissioner to replace Pat Design, who retired.
Saratoga County Supervisors Matthew E. Veitch and Joanne Dittes Yepsen were also sworn in.
The first official meeting of the City Council is Tuesday, Jan. 5 at 7 p.m.
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