Public Hearings & Finance Meeting
February 19, 2026 — Troy City Council
February 19, 2026 — Troy City Council
The Good Cause Eviction public hearing on February 19 drew 17 speakers — the largest turnout at any meeting in the new council's term to that point. The hearing ran from 5:30 PM until 6:43 PM. Speakers were overwhelmingly in favor of the legislation, though two landlords testified in opposition. Six of seven members were present; Struber was absent.
The hearing on Local Law 2 (remote participation by videoconferencing) drew two speakers. The Finance Committee convened at 6:46 PM with Mayor Mantello, Deputy Mayor Donnelly, and other administration officials in attendance, and unanimously recommended both local laws for passage at the March 5 Regular Meeting.
Before adjourning, Spain-McLaren noted on the record that the mayor had not signed the ICE resolution the council passed 7-0 on February 5. Spain-McLaren made clear this was about due process for all people, not lawlessness.
Selected testimony from the 17 speakers who addressed the council:
Brian Marsh (Menands mayor; owns 5 buildings/17 units in Troy): Distinguished himself as a local, responsive landlord. Described $250,000 in losses during COVID and a tenant who ran up his water bill from $400 to $1,600 per quarter. "The people who live out of state are the problem. It's not the people who are here who respond when the tenant calls." Argued the bill was "too much, too soon."
Tony Mawa (District 4; 16-year landlord): Argued New York State already has more tenant protections than anywhere in the country and warned Good Cause would accelerate landlord exit from the market.
Lunita Gresham (senior citizen, fixed income): "When the rent goes up $100 a year, that is not minor to me. That is groceries, that is medication, that is stability... My fear is not inconvenience. My fear is homelessness."
Mateo (Lansingburgh; family with a teenager and wife with PTSD/ESA): Described a landlord who became hostile over his wife's emotional support animal, refused emergency repairs, then sent an email calling Mateo "litigious" and suggesting the family move out mid-lease. "Without good cause, we might be kicked out simply because we are an average working class family... If you pass good cause eviction, I can look my child in the eye and say you will be here."
Michelle Ledbetter (small landlord, 4 properties): Arrived to oppose the bill but changed her view after hearing other testimony: "after hearing just a few people speaking, I realized that not everybody is a good landlord."
Eric Spinner (District 1; legal analysis): Non-payment eviction cases in Troy numbered 1,404 in 2025; holdover cases were in the single digits. Argued that Good Cause protections are largely theoretical without housing court reform, and noted Rensselaer County ranks second in per-capita eviction rate among all 62 NY counties outside NYC.
Elizabeth O. (Good Cause Troy coalition lead): Addressed the threshold debate directly: corporate landlords can structure through LLCs holding fewer than 10 units each to evade a higher exemption. Average Troy rent rose from $1,100 (2023) to $1,430 (2026); estimated 70–150 families would still be in their homes if Good Cause had passed the prior year.
Hunter (housing counselor, United Tenants of Albany): "I cannot in good faith suggest that anybody who calls me in this situation contact code enforcement because in many cases they are likely to be summarily homeless as a result."
Rachel Rempel (District 3): Framed landlording as a business with attendant responsibilities; noted the owner retains long-term appreciation on the asset. "Landlords don't have to follow any of the responsibility that are associated with their contract."
All items adopted 6-0 (Struber absent). Votes verified against clerk's minutes (_02192026-1784).
| # | Full Title | Sponsors | Notes | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LL 1 | A Local Law Adopting the Provisions of Article 6-A of the Real Property Law to Make the Good Cause Eviction Law Applicable in Troy, New York | Spain-McLaren, Campbell-Cohen, Steele | Referred to Regular Meeting; subsequently passed 7-0 on March 5 | 6-0 |
| LL 2 | A Local Law Amending Chapter 2 of the Code of the City of Troy to Add a New Article VII Authorizing Remote Participation by Videoconferencing | Spain-McLaren, McKee | McKee: enhances democracy "in the current environment where we are losing our democracy." Referred to Regular Meeting. | 6-0 |
| Res. 26 | Resolution Authorizing the Mayor to Enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Saratoga County Animal Shelter | Steele (Admin.) | Background: city converted a City Hall DPW garage into temporary shelter in January 2024 after being locked out of its Humane Society arrangement. Favreau requested 2025 cost figures. Spain-McLaren flagged need for long-term regional Rensselaer County solution. | 6-0 |
| Res. 27 | Resolution Commending the Troy Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians for Its Service to the Communities of Troy | Steele (Admin.) | DiLorenzo: AOH volunteers every Tuesday at Saint Augustine's Lansingburgh food pantry | 6-0 |
| Res. 28 | Resolution Proclaiming March 2026 as Women's History Month in the City of Troy | Struber, McKee, Favreau (Admin.) | No discussion | 6-0 |
| Res. 29 | Resolution Proclaiming March 2026 as Developmental Disabilities Month in the City of Troy | Spain-McLaren (Admin.) | Spain-McLaren moved to amend adding national theme "The Power of Support." Amendment 6-0; amended resolution 6-0. | 6-0 |