City Council Newsletters
Newsletters from Troy City Council members.
Newsletters from Troy City Council members.
The Troy City Council will meet Thursday to address several matters, including a public hearing on automatic license plate readers and a proposed local law to limit mayoral emergency declarations, addressing concerns about "taxpayer money with zero oversight."
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First and foremost, Happy Pride Month! Collar City Pride will be doing their annual pride flag raising tonight at 6:30pm at the YWCA that is open to the public. Local Law #3 was introduced this month to start putting some guardrails around the use of ALPRs in Troy.
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Local Law #3 aims to give Troy Police a powerful and effective crime fighting tool while establishing clear safeguards to protect Fourth Amendment rights to privacy. The Council met with Chief DeWolf, Deputy Chief Barker, DA Donnelly, and the NYCLU to discuss the draft legislation.
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Humans have been discovering and using tools for most of history. Fire, for example, was one of the very first tools discovered to provide heat and cook food. ALPRs and AI in general are the next iteration of tools in society that have become more necessary but also require guardrails for safe use.
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It's been just over five months since being sworn in as a Council Member and goodness have I learned a lot! One of the big things I am learning that is that there are a lot of financial obligations even when not actively campaigning.
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The council initiated legal action against the mayor's emergency declaration to pay Flock after tabling the contract renewal. Steele states the council seeks "a draft policy that would establish clear rules for use of this technology, data retention, and internal access" while preserving law enforcement capabilities.
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On Monday, the city council filed an Article 78 motion to overturn the mayor's illegal State of Emergency declaration to unilaterally pay Flock without the council's approval to spend taxpayer dollars. This is an important step toward restoring the balance of power at city hall.
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There was a devastating fire in our community last week. There were unfortunately losses of life with one fatality and a family who was left with nothing. Many community members stepped in to assist by calling 911 and literally pulling someone from the burning building.
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Rather than vote on the two-year renewal, Council tabled it. We needed more information about how Flock uses, retains, and shares the data it continuously collects. Then on April 2nd, Mayor Mantello declared a state of emergency to override the Council's authority entirely.
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The newsletter announces upcoming April 23 council meetings on Law and Finance committees, encourages Earth Day participation, and includes a tribute to former Troy budget director Owen Goldfarb.
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Last night, the City Council unanimously overrode Mayor Mantello's veto of tenant protections, commonly known as Good Cause Eviction. Rejection of the mayor's veto is a victory for the residents of Troy and a reminder of how representative government should work.
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Happy Spring! With winter officially behind us, many of us are turning our attention to spring cleaning. The city council has been active the last several weeks, with more critical work ahead of us.
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Spring has Sprung! My seedlings are growing, I can see flowers sprouting in the yard, and I was able to actually take a walk outside comfortably last week. Thank you to all who have reached out with thoughts, information, and ideas in relation to the ongoing issue of the Flock cameras.
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Council President Sue Steele announced that the Troy city council has directed the city auditor to suspend payments to Flock, the automatic license plate reader company, pending resolution of outstanding concerns about data access and privacy protections.
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Over 100 residents packed the March 19th Finance meeting as Council voted 7-0 to table the Flock Safety ALPR renewal. Also inside: an interview with Nic Rangel of the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern NY on Good Cause Eviction and what it means for Troy renters.
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In the interest of transparency, I am providing a quick update on something the city council is exploring related to the Flock contract. On Thursday, the city council requested a 30-day delay from the administration in the expiration of the contract for Flock cameras.
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The council halted approval of the automated license plate reader contract renewal, noting: "there are simply too many unanswered questions about the proposed agreement, including data security and retention, access, ownership, and concerns over personal privacy."
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When Flock hit the agenda last week, I sped up my deep dive. As a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) in my day job, I perform the vendor reviews for any new application or hardware brought into the environment. I did not go into this meeting with a pre-determined opinion.
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Last Thursday, the City Council unanimously passed the Good Cause Eviction ordinance. This landmark legislation means Troy joins 19 other communities across New York State in adopting this vital measure.
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March is one of my favorite months. It's my birthday month, Women's History Month, the days are getting longer, and temperatures outside are starting to climb. March tends to give me a feeling of new beginnings and energy, and I plan to channel both into the community and District 2!
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Sue Steele invites residents to the annual Legislative Address on March 5, 2026, at 7 p.m. at City Hall, where the council will update the public on city happenings and outline priorities for the coming year.
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Council Member McKee introduces herself to District 4, recaps the first three meetings of the new term — including the BESS moratorium and the Frear Park bond dispute — and speaks with Monica Kurzejeski about the Downtown Troy BID’s future.
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The council introduced proposals for Good Cause protections for tenants and remote participation options for council meetings, and unanimously approved a resolution condemning ICE violence and calling for the reallocation of federal funding to support community-centered immigration programs.
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Earlier this month, the council passed a resolution that condemns ICE's actions which trample on civil and human rights. Late Friday afternoon, we learned Mayor Mantello is declining to endorse the resolution, instead deciding to remain silent on the egregious attacks on civil rights in America.
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It's been a rough month for many of us. From germs and sickness going around, the actions we are seeing from ICE, and the storm last week, it has been a lot. The Troy Community Land Bank has been doing amazing work in District 2!
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The Troy City Council will introduce legislation on February 5th addressing Good Cause Eviction protections for tenants and a proposal to allow remote participation in council meetings.
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One of the pieces of legislation presented to the Science and Technology Committee on Jan 22, 2026 was requesting a six-month moratorium on Battery Energy Storage Systems ("BESS") in Troy. Think of a Battery Energy Storage System like a reservoir for electricity.
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Council President Sue Steele announced that the city council secured a commitment from the administration to reduce spending on a Frear Park bond from $6 million to $3 million, saving taxpayers $3 million in debt.
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The Troy City Council announced plans to rescind a $6 million bond resolution for Frear Park improvements, citing technical drafting errors by the Mantello administration. The bond language restricted spending to pavilion construction only, contrary to what the administration had claimed.
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We have a chilly few weeks ahead of us. Make sure to check on your neighbors who might need assistance, a familiar face, or a helping hand with staying warm this winter. During this era of anxiety and crisis I know things feel scary out there right now—but the antidote is community.
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I'm sharing a quick update on the city council's work to protect taxpayers and oversight of city spending. The administration intervened to block a call with the city's bond counsel, but the deputy mayor then acknowledged the $6 million bond was not written correctly.
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Council President Sue Steele issued a statement regarding Governor Hochul's 2026 State of the State address, praising her commitment to "fighting for a safer, stronger, more resilient future for all of us."
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Sue Steele thanks attendees for their participation in a multi-hour forum where residents shared feedback and suggestions. The meeting was streamed over 600 times on YouTube, and the mayor's absence — required by city charter — was a missed opportunity for direct public engagement.
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Welcome to 2026 in Troy! The holidays may be over, but there is still much work to be done in our fair city. My colleagues and I were sworn in to office on Dec 30th by the Honorable Judge Pallozzi.
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