Troy, New York (January 19, 2026) – The Troy City Council today announced plans to rescind the resolution that authorized $6 million in bonds for a pavilion in Frear Park due to several technical issues that made the bond invalid. The measure was hastily adopted on December 30, 2025, by the outgoing lame duck council just two days before the new 7-member council majority was to assume office.
The resolution will be discussed by the council’s Finance Committee on Thursday, January 22. A special meeting will be scheduled for later that evening.
The council majority says the Mantello administration improperly drafted the borrowing request, claiming the $6 million would cover playgrounds, tennis and pickleball courts, parking and renovations to the former Park Pub restaurant. The bond as adopted could only be used to fund construction of a pavilion. The mistake was confirmed by deputy mayor Seamus Donnelly last week during a conversation with Council President Steele.
“The council is not opposed to improvements at Frear Park—in fact, we strongly support investments in our city’s parks and open spaces,” Council President Sue Steele said. “However, the administration provided no details along with the $6 million bond and dismissed questions about how it was structured and the rushed time frame in which it was approved. By hitting restart, we can ensure plans for renovations to the park are based on a real budget.”
The sponsor and author of the resolution to rescind, Councilmember Greg Campbell-Cohen (D6), said: “After discovering major issues in the environmental review and public notice, we made the unfortunate but necessary decision to withdraw the previous council’s bond resolution to protect residents from getting nickel-and-dimed, correcting glaring and avoidable errors. We have a duty to ensure that public dollars serve the public interest, and that means we can’t let taxpayers foot the bill for mopping up these senseless mistakes.”
Councilmember Katie Spain McLaren (D3) said “I voted to support the initial borrowing request because of the need to upgrade the park’s aging playground equipment and replace tennis courts. The city’s previous allocation of $1.7 million in federal ARPA funds can be used immediately for upgrading playgrounds to be more inclusive, once public input is complete.”
According to Councilmember Shikole Struber (D2), “There’s no need to rush on rebuilding a pavilion because we previously invested in the tent that can be used for the upcoming season.”
“We need to know the financial impact of the $6 million bond on the city’s debt limit and bond rating,” Councilmember Noreen McKee (D4), cosponsor, said. “Rescinding this faulty bond issuance will enable the council to conduct the necessary due diligence to ensure that these important investments are made in a financially responsible way with input from the community.”