Friends, neighbors, and fellow Trojans,
Thank you to each and every person who attended and spoke at during last Thursday’s council meeting. During the multi-hour forum, we heard many thoughtful comments, feedback, and suggestions for the year ahead.
The entire council is committed to being accessible and engaged representatives for the residents we serve, and I am eager to begin making changes to ensure our city works for everyone.
Due to an injury, Councilmember Katie Spain McLaren was unable to attend in person; however, she was able to remotely monitor Thursday’s meeting. It’s just another reminder of why remote participation is needed for our council, and we aim to quickly address this.
As of Saturday, the meeting was streamed more than 600 times. Watch it below ⬇️
WATCH: Jan. 5, 2026 Council Meeting
After the meeting, I spoke with WAMC’s Samantha Simmons about the strong turnout and how public engagement is critical to building stronger communities.
I also spoke with Eden Stratton of the Troy Record about the level of participation and my disappointment the mayor did not attend, which is required by city charter. This was a missed opportunity for the mayor to join the council in hearing directly from residents, and denied the public a chance to speak directly to the city’s chief executive.
Onward,
Sue Steele
Council President