Council President Steele called it a “power grab.” On July 26, 2024, the Republican council voted 4-3 to abolish Troy’s independent Planning Commission and replace it with a five-member Planning Board appointed entirely by the mayor. The old commission had seven members and operated independently. The new board has five members and answers only to Mantello.
Mantello said the commission moved too slowly. Critics said it was the only independent check on development decisions the city had.
Partisan angle: Strict party-line vote. The result was an unelected body with land use authority that reports solely to the mayor.
Sources: CBS6, WAMC, Spectrum News