November Troy District 4 Newsletter

ITEMS TO NOTE

November Office Hours

Office hours for November will be held at Mi Casa (72 Congress St) on Sat, Nov 23 from 2-4 pm. Please stop by to chat about the City budget, neighborhood improvements, or any other issues you might have.

You can always reach me via email at aaron.vera@troyny.gov.

YMCA Food Drive - Basket Brigade

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and for neighbors struggling with rising costs and food security, affording a holiday meal can be out of reach. The Capital District YMCA’s Basket Brigade is stepping up, and needs your help.If you are able to make a food, monetary, or time donation, the Y is looking for assistance to feed 1500 families in the Capital Region, 100 of them right here in Troy. To volunteer your time to sort and distribute baskets on Friday, Nov 22 or Sat, Nov 23, click here.

CDTA Car Share/Liberty Mobility Hub

CDTA has completed work on the Liberty Street Mobility Hub, providing transportation connectivity to residents in the downtown area with access to the 85 and 224 lines, as well as electric car charging and bike connectivity

Additionally, users will find access to a CDTA Car Share vehicle, allowing downtown residents without a car but with occasional need for a vehicle access to affordable options. To learn more about CDTA Car Share, click here.

Capital Streets - Cranksgiving

Capital Streets will be hosing its 6th Annual Cranksgiving - a charity bike ride to benefit Joseph’s House.  The event starts at Alias Coffee (219 4th Street), 11am on Saturday November, 23.

For more info, visit tinyurl.com/TroyCranksgiving24.

BUDGET & FINANCE UPDATE

We are about halfway through this year’s budget season.  Throughout the month of October we have heard from the administration and department heads about their needs for 2025 and how this budget gets them there.  Many discrepancies have been identified and addressed or corrected by the administration, but there are several items which I find concerning:

• A $1.5M contingency line item is being considered as the source for a $1M 911 contract with Rensselaer County.  This is a contract that - in my opinion - should continue to be in the appropriate budget line.  While the Mayor is empowered with negotiating in the best interest of residents, wishful thinking is a dangerous budgeting strategy.

• No provisions (aside from the aforementioned contingency) are in the budget for the renegotiation of five expiring or expired union contracts, representing the bulk of the City’s workforce

• The financial presentation of Q1 and Q2 figures did not adequately communicate the City’s cash flow for 2024.  Without this information it is impossible to make informed financial decisions.

• The City’s 2023 Annual Financial Report (AFR) is still incomplete and has been delayed by the administration until after an audit is performed.

• The City does not have a comptroller and hasn’t since June, exacerbating all of the above issues.

I am committed to working with the administration and the Council to appropriately amend the budget prior to a final vote.

CITY COUNCIL MEETING RECAPS

October 3: Regular Meeting

• The City Council passed ORD 47 authorizing the sale of 13 city-owned properties acquired through the in rem foreclosure process.

• The City Council passed ORD 55 authorizing the sale of 2 city-owned properties acquired through the in rem foreclosure process.  Both of these properties were sold for $100 each - one had received a proposal for $20,000.  This raises questions about the effectiveness of the City’s reconveyance procedure.

• The City Council authorized the reallocation of $350,000 in ARPA funding for Team H.E.R.O. and an ECAC eSports tournament.  Originally this funding was part of $1,000,000 earmarked for a community center.

• A vacancy list was presented - there are currently 48 vacancies.

October 24: Finance Committee

• The Finance Committee passed four ordinances authorizing the acceptance of grant funding by the Troy Police Department for various initiatives.

• The City Council passed ORD 64 authorizing the surplus of city-owned assets.  A private entity will be removing dasher boards at the Knickerbacker Arena at no cost to the City.