The Mantello Record
Transparency Council Records

Council Votes Not Unanimous: A Complete Record of Divided Votes, 2024-2026

Every city council vote in Troy’s 2024 and 2025 sessions where at least one member voted no, or where a measure was defeated or failed a supermajority threshold. Votes are listed in chronological order by meeting date. Sources are meeting transcripts from the TroyDems City Council Meeting archive unless otherwise noted.

2024

February 1, 2024 — Finance and Regular Meeting

  • Ord. 2 (fund transfer for Russ Reeves dual-role stipend and two DPU supervisors): 5-2. Steele and Vera voted no.

Reeves was serving simultaneously as city engineer at $125,000 and DPU superintendent at a $50,000 water-fund stipend, totaling $175,000. Two DPU supervisors also received $5,000 premium pay each, a stipend that began when prior superintendent Chris Willing resigned. Brosnan moved a technical amendment correcting the salary figure from approximately $390,000 to $420,516. Vera then proposed a substantive amendment to strike the line-1210 transfers and redirect the funds toward hiring a comptroller, which she said was more urgent. Deputy Mayor Donnelly disclosed that a comptroller candidate was already in the approval process and expected “within the next couple of weeks,” and Vera withdrew her amendment. Steele had separately questioned whether the emergency engagement of accounting firm Prism Nexus, hired to close out the 2023 books, could have been avoided with a special meeting instead of an emergency declaration. The ordinance passed 5-2 with Steele and Vera opposed.

Source: 2024-02-01_Finance_Regular_Meeting.md

April 24, 2024 — Finance Committee and Special Meeting

  • Res. 68 (Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act support): Defeated. Exact count not recorded in minutes.

The resolution urged the state legislature to pass S.4246-B / S.5322, the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act. Steele, who sponsored it, said she was inspired by a keynote at the Bob Daby Memorial Lecture at the SUNY Albany School of Public Health and cited Maine as the nearest state with similar legislation already enacted. Sorriento added that Troy “is part of planet Earth” and said measurable progress on carbon emissions shows action is possible. Keal raised specific objections: the bill would double-penalize manufacturers for production and sale, forces companies to fund their own compliance studies, lacks clear enforcement standards, and exempts local government from the same requirements it places on businesses. Casey said he preferred the council focus on local issues (“dead cats, brush truck calls, veterans banners, crime, and the budget”) rather than a state bill that has been through three versions and “has never made it out of committee even with this legislature.” The resolution was defeated; the Finance Committee minutes were not published on troyny.gov, so the exact vote count is not confirmed in the transcript.

Source: 2024-04-24_Finance_Special_Meeting.md

May 23, 2024 — Finance Committee and Special Meeting

  • Res. 96 (SEQR Type II designation, Congress/Ferry corridor): 4-3. Steele, Vera, and Spain-McLaren voted no.

The resolution declared the Congress and Ferry Street corridor project a Type II action under SEQRA, exempting it from further environmental review. Vera, who had served on the Zoning Board and as SEQRA officer, raised the central objection: the resolution applied the Type II designation to the entire project rather than just the design-phase bonding, and the specific code citation (6 NYCRR Part 617.5(c)(5)), which covers reconstruction of roadways without lane addition, does not apply to an intersection realignment. She said she could not be comfortable declaring a full project determination “when no plans have been seen and no public input has occurred.” Spain-McLaren supported Vera’s concern. After a brief caucus recess, Brosnan and Casey said they were satisfied that Corporation Counsel and bond counsel had jointly drafted the resolution. Sorriento said she was “trusting the bonding counsel.” Earlier in the same Finance meeting, public speakers James Wrath, a former Troy city planner who wrote the original 2018 grant that brought $3 to $4 million to the corridor, and Stephen Maples, a transportation planner at CDTC speaking personally, had both pressed the council about the near-total absence of public engagement since a single advisory committee session in early December 2023. The vote was 4-3 at both the Finance Committee and the Special Meeting.

Source: 2024-05-23_Finance_Special_Meeting.md

August 8, 2024 — Regular Meeting and Public Hearing

  • Ord. 41 (Planning Board ordinance, abolishing the Planning Commission): 4-3. Vera, Steele, and Spain-McLaren voted no.

The ordinance added Chapter 72 to the Code of the City of Troy, establishing the Planning Board and eliminating the Planning Commission. Steele noted the ordinance “has been before us for quite some time, on and off” and called the outcome “unfortunate” before the vote. No public speakers addressed the ordinance directly in the pre-agenda forum. The meeting’s post-vote forum ran nearly 40 minutes but was dominated by lead service line replacement testimony. The vote was Keal, Brosnan, Sorriento, and Casey in favor; Vera, Steele, and Spain-McLaren opposed.

Source: 2024-08-08_Regular_PH_Meeting.md

September 19, 2024 — Finance Committee and Special Meeting

  • Ord. 55 (senior housing parcel sales at $100 each): 6-1. Vera voted no.

Two city-owned parcels were offered at $100 for senior housing development. Spain-McLaren asked why the city would accept $100 on properties with higher assessed values; Sharon Martin, head of Assessments and a member of the property review committee, explained that the committee weighs intended use against assessed value, noting blighted properties often carry inflated assessments and a completed senior housing project returns the parcel to the tax roll at full value. Steele disclosed that three bids had been received: $1, $100, and $20,000, and the committee chose the $100 bid based on planned use. Vera asked whether the city would enforce the reverter clause if the buyer failed to deliver; Corporation Counsel Salazar said the current administration had already started exercising reverter clauses on prior deals. Keal asked whether the city could require a deposit; Salazar said she would research whether restrictions applied to municipalities. No on-the-record statement from Vera explaining her no vote is recorded in the transcript.

Source: 2024-09-19_Finance_Special_Meeting.md

October 3, 2024 — Regular Meeting

  • Ord. 55 (senior housing parcel sales, final vote): 6-1. Vera voted no.

The Regular Meeting vote followed the September 19 Finance Committee. In the pre-agenda public forum, Peggy Kownack of Lansingburgh flagged that a single Florida developer operating under three entities at the same address had proposals across multiple property sales on the evening’s agenda, though the transcript does not confirm this concern specifically targeted Ord. 55. No additional on-the-record reasons from Vera appear in the October 3 transcript.

Source: 2024-10-03_Regular_Meeting.md

December 2, 2024 — Finance and Special Budget Meeting

  • Res. 152 (2025 budget adoption): 4-3. Spain-McLaren, Steele, and Vera voted no.

Before the final vote, Vera moved to add an amended memo schedule A (additional budget schedule language) to the resolution; that amendment passed 6-0. The final vote was 4-3: Casey, Sorriento, Keal, and Brosnan in favor; Spain-McLaren, Steele, and Vera opposed. Transcript-level detail is limited because no auto-captions were available for the YouTube recording; the vote counts come from clerk’s minutes. The meeting ran 21 minutes for the Finance Committee and adjourned at 6:01 PM.

Source: 2024-12-02_Finance_Special_Budget_Meeting.md

December 5, 2024 — Finance and Regular Meeting

  • Res. 159 (Knickerbacker Ice Arena lease with Troy Albany Youth Hockey Association):
    • Tabling motion: Failed 3-4. Vera, Spain-McLaren, and Steele moved to table; Casey, Sorriento, Keal, and Brosnan voted against tabling.
    • Final vote: 4-3. Vera, Spain-McLaren, and Steele voted no.

TAHA received roughly 30 hours per week of ice time, primarily Monday through Thursday evenings and Saturday through Sunday days, with a commitment to up to $250,000 in facility improvements by year five in lieu of rent, plus $500 per month for utilities. Vera raised the financial math directly: ice time at comparable facilities runs $100 to $200 per hour; at 30 hours per week over six years the market value granted is in the range of $1.8 million, while TAHA’s contribution works out to roughly $27 to $28 per hour. “I don’t think when we built the ice ring we thought it would be a money maker, but we also need to be good stewards of public facilities,” she said. She also flagged that TAHA had purchased Dasher boards before the contract was voted on. Deputy Mayor Donnelly defended the deal: the county wanted the facility open quickly, TAHA has hockey expertise the city lacks, the city retains 55 to 60 hours per week to sell at market rates, and TAHA is purchasing a second Zamboni at approximately $40,000. At the Regular Meeting, Spain-McLaren said she was torn: the financial terms left money on the table but TAHA’s youth commitment was real. Steele said she “personally” disagreed with the contract as presented, had concerns beyond the financial including how well it would serve the neighborhood’s youth, and had not received a satisfying answer on urgency. The tabling motion failed 3-4. Final vote was 4-3, same split.

Source: 2024-12-05_Finance_Regular_Meeting.md

2025

February 6, 2025 — Confirmation Hearing, Finance, and Regular Meeting

  • Res. 9 (James Krokos comptroller confirmation): 6-1. Vera voted no.

Krokos had no professional municipal accounting experience. His background was SBA lending, residential mortgage origination where he closed more than $55 million per year at McLone Mortgage, and managing a $500 million commercial loan portfolio at the Bank of Greene County. His only public-sector experience was roughly two years as a Town Councilman in Sand Lake. At the Finance Committee vote, Vera explained her hesitation: BST, the third-party bridge firm, would continue to lead the day-to-day accounting work for the foreseeable future, and she was not confident the comptroller position was ready to stand on its own. Casey, voting yes, acknowledged the search had been lengthy and bipartisan and said: “We found somebody that maybe didn’t quite have the municipal experience but wants to get into the field, which I think is a great career move for him.” He also said Krokos’s commitment to meet with council members without needing administration approval was “the kind of independence I was looking for.” Steele had pressed Krokos during the hearing on whether his $125,000 salary was included in the 2025 budget (it was not, requiring a budget amendment) and on his social media activity: he had publicly posted partisan content as a Republican council member in Sand Lake and committed it would stop.

  • Ord. 5 (Nick Ice Arena fee schedule): 6-1 in Finance (Vera no); 6-1 in Regular (Steele no).

During Finance, Deputy Corporation Counsel Morrissey identified a drafting problem: the ordinance added ice rentals at $200 per hour in a new table but did not strike the existing $175 per hour rate already in section 268A of the code. Vera moved to amend: change Part A to $200 and strike the conflicting Part B table; the amendment passed 7-0. The ordinance as amended passed Finance 6-1 with Vera dissenting. At the Regular Meeting it passed 6-1 with Steele dissenting. During Finance discussion there was a tense exchange between Steele and Deputy Mayor Donnelly: Steele asked whether the council had ever received the full TAHA agreement, Donnelly implied she had voted against it, and the exchange escalated to Steele telling Donnelly he was “dismissed” and Donnelly replying: “I’m a grown man. I’m the deputy mayor of this city.” The transcript does not include an on-the-record explanation from either Vera or Steele for their respective no votes on this item.

Source: 2025-02-06_Confirmation_Finance_Regular_Meeting.md

March 6, 2025 — Public Hearing, Finance, and Regular Meeting

  • Ord. 13 ($1.04M fund transfer for 911 dispatch contract): 6-1 in Finance. Passed 7-0 at Regular Meeting.

The transfer moved $1.04 million within the 2025 general fund to cover the city’s 911 dispatch contract with Rensselaer County, leaving approximately $480,000 remaining in the contingency fund, a figure Steele described in her annual legislative address that same evening as “thin for a city of Troy’s size.” The 911 contract had been running on expired terms throughout early 2025; the city had been making quarterly payments of $250,000 from the contingency fund. The dissenting Finance vote is not identified by name in the clerk’s minutes.

  • Ord. 14 (ARPA re-obligation of waterline project savings): 6-1 in Finance. Passed 7-0 at Regular Meeting.

The ordinance amended the general fund, capital projects fund, and miscellaneous special grants fund to redirect ARPA funding originally designated for a waterline project that came in under budget. The dissenting Finance vote is not identified by name in the clerk’s minutes. No on-the-record debate about this ordinance appears in the transcript.

  • Res. 12 (Enslin House Lane designation): 6-1. Sorriento voted no.

The resolution designated the portion of Fifth Avenue between 114th and 115th Streets in Lansingburgh as Enslin House Lane, co-sponsored by Steele, Casey, and Keal. No on-the-record explanation from Sorriento for the no vote, and no public comment specifically on this item, appears in the transcript.

  • Res. 25 (Siemens/Frear Park temporary restaurant agreement): 4-3. Steele, Spain-McLaren, and Vera voted no.

The resolution authorized a project development agreement with Siemens Industry, Inc., doing business as Brad Stevens Hospitality, to install and operate a temporary restaurant and pro shop at Frear Park, funded with approximately $650,000 in ARPA funds. The Frear Park golf course had been without a functional restaurant for several years. Steele had raised the ARPA allocation as a concern in her legislative address earlier that evening, saying she had flagged the Frear Park playground project, also ARPA-funded, as a priority and would be watching how the administration used remaining ARPA funds before the federal deadline. The opposition raised concerns about using ARPA dollars for a golf amenity, transparency in the vendor selection process, and whether a temporary structure was the right approach. No individual statements from Steele, Spain-McLaren, or Vera explaining their no votes during the vote itself appear in the transcript.

Source: 2025-03-06_Public_Hearing_Finance_Regular_Meeting.md

April 3, 2025 — Finance and Regular Meeting

  • Ord. 17 (Capital Projects Fund, Congress and Ferry Street): 4-3. Steele, Spain-McLaren, and Vera voted no.

The ordinance appropriated $1.7 million into project accounts for the Congress and Ferry Street Route 2 corridor redesign, moving bond proceeds already authorized in May 2024 into spending accounts. Vera pressed on whether the appropriation was premature: funds cannot be spent until DOT approves the preferred alternative, and the city was transferring more than the draft design report alone would cost (approximately $1.4 to $1.5 million); the administration acknowledged the remainder would sit in the account. Spain-McLaren noted the council had received a letter signed by approximately 85 community members opposing Option 1A, the administration’s preferred design, and questioned whether design was truly locked in; the administration confirmed Option 1A was the design going to DOT. Eight public speakers at the Finance Committee urged rejection or redesign. James Rath of Capitol Streets noted that the city’s own project web page showed community comments opposed to 1A and that the city had selected it anyway after two public meetings, the first advertised only 22 hours in advance. Civil engineer Dylan Sala told the council: “The non-parking protected bike lane is just going to end up a parking lot.” Casey, whose district includes the corridor, acknowledged competing perspectives but argued the project was a long-overdue step.

  • Res. 32 (Command Officers Association MOA; 3% retro for 2023, 4% retro for 2024): 6-1. Vera voted no.

The terms included 3% retroactive to 2023, 4% retroactive to 2024, and 3% for 2025, with approximately $98,000 in retroactive pay due within 45 days and approximately $50,000 in additional annual cost going forward, funded from the contingency fund and salary savings. No on-the-record statement from Vera explaining her no vote appears in the transcript.

Source: 2025-04-03_Finance_Regular_Meeting.md

June 16, 2025 — Finance Committee, Public Hearing, and Special Meeting

  • Res. 59 (Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security support resolution): Failed 3-4. Vera, Spain-McLaren, and Steele voted yes; Keal, Brosnan, Sorriento, and Casey voted no.

Co-sponsored by Vera and Spain-McLaren, the resolution asked the city to formally support federal funding for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Five members of the public came specifically to address it, including Nataya Drakes, a Social Security Administration employee, and Jess, an AFGE shop steward. It failed 3-4 on a clean party-line vote with all four Republicans opposing. Approximately 30 minutes later, Resolution 78, covering the same subject under different sponsorship (Casey, Sorriento, and Keal), passed 7-0 with Vera and Spain-McLaren both voting yes. The no-voters on Res. 59 offered no on-the-record explanation for opposing that resolution while supporting the identical subject under their own sponsorship.

  • Res. 64 ($1.9M fire rescue vehicle bond): Failed 4-0-3. Steele, Spain-McLaren, and Vera abstained. Bond resolutions require 5 affirmative votes; the measure fell short.

Bond resolutions in New York require a supermajority of five ayes on a seven-member council. Only four voted in favor: Keal, Brosnan, Sorriento, and Casey. Spain-McLaren abstained on all fire bond items that evening because her son was a candidate for the fire department. Vera had pressed extensively earlier in the meeting on the largest fire bond, $12.5 million for the Lansingburgh firehouse, demanding a debt service analysis and a full capital plan that the administration had not provided in advance. She accepted a commitment from the mayor to send financial documentation before the bonds were formally issued and then voted yes on the firehouse bond. The contrast is notable: the smaller $1.9 million rescue vehicle item died without a similar commitment on the record; the $12.5 million firehouse cleared only after the mayor put a specific promise in the transcript. No distinct explanation from Steele or Vera for abstaining on the rescue vehicle specifically appears in the transcript.

Source: 2025-06-16_Finance_PublicHearing_Special_Meeting.md

August 7, 2025 — Finance and Regular Meeting

  • Res. 88 (Proctors Theater as city hall site, approval of lease negotiation): 4-3. Steele, Vera, and Spain-McLaren voted no.

Seventeen speakers addressed the council before the vote, virtually all opposed. Key factual objections raised in public testimony: the RFP lacked evaluation criteria; the letter of intent signed by the LDC did not appear in LDC minutes or agendas; Noreen McKee’s analysis showed the proposed $650,000 annual lease did not include utilities or CAM charges; current landlord Joe Castello estimated approximately $300,000 in annual operating costs the administration’s slide had omitted; architect John White produced a 2009 state adverse effect letter on a prior Proctors rehabilitation attempt citing adverse impact under Section 14.09 of NYS Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law; and architect Bill Schroeder, with more than 40 years in real estate finance, said the numbers “don’t make sense” and there were “too few of them.” Spain-McLaren voted no, saying the council had not received requested documents, had not seen the letter of intent, and had asked for more time since a public session was still on the calendar. Vera voted no, citing limited financial details, feasibility concerns, and questions about conflicts of interest in the LDC’s role. Steele called the vote “a brazen attempt to ram through a vote over the questions and concerns of the council and the public,” said the mayor was using her four votes to accomplish a legacy project, and warned the city could end up paying two leases simultaneously if the current lease termination was contested. Brosnan voted yes with a caveat: “Due to the fact that this is just claiming our intent on moving somewhere, I’ll vote I. Waiting for the numbers for a real vote, though.” Casey voted yes, saying: “I really truly feel that this move gets us to city hall and saves this beautiful historic building from the wrecking ball.” The same 4-3 split repeated at the Regular Meeting.

Source: 2025-08-07_Finance_Regular_Meeting.md

September 18, 2025 — Finance Meeting

  • Res. 95 (video conferencing public hearing): 4-3. Sorriento, Keal, and Casey voted no.

The resolution scheduled a public hearing on proposed Local Law No. 2, which would authorize remote participation by video conferencing for council members and other public bodies under genuine emergency circumstances. Sorriento voted no and stated he opposed the concept outright: “We’re here to represent our constituents. Our constituents are here. They want to see us present, not through a video conference.” He cited a former council member who claimed a family emergency but was seen at a bar. Vera clarified the proposal restricts remote participation to genuine emergencies and requires permission from the Council President; a participating member must be visible and identifiable. Spain-McLaren said she had once missed a meeting when her daughter was hospitalized and would have preferred to participate remotely. Casey expressed concern that a council member participating remotely would trigger the option for remote public comment, potentially allowing people from outside Troy to weigh in: “from Kingston, Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, New York City, Rochester, Buffalo — everybody chiming in on what we should do in Troy from their living rooms.” Steele noted that Troy’s residency rule for public comment is likely not legally enforceable; the state Committee on Open Government had informed her that members of the public are generally entitled to speak at public meetings regardless of residence. Keal said he wanted the “vibe to be here, not all over the country with video conferences.”

  • Res. 98 (ICE, human rights, and due process resolution): Defeated 3-4. Vera, Spain-McLaren, and Steele voted yes; Sorriento, Keal, Brosnan, and Casey voted no.

Co-sponsored by Spain-McLaren and Steele, the resolution expressed support for human rights, due process, and government accountability in response to recent ICE activity in Troy. Four public speakers addressed it. Noreen McKee described immigrant neighbors “seized off the streets by ICE agents, masked individuals who refuse to identify themselves,” detained locally and transferred to Batavia before being sent to facilities across the country. Spain-McLaren described a young man from her church who was taken by ICE while in the process of obtaining his green card, detained at Batavia, and deported to Togo, leaving his wife and infant behind. Vera said: “This resolution simply condemns any action that violates the Constitution, and that’s an oath we all took.” Speaker Sarah McDermott argued ICE operations are “intelligence-driven” and focused on criminal aliens and immigration fugitives, and that the resolution “does not protect Troy residents — it endangers them.” (McDermott was later hired as Troy’s Deputy Director of Operations at $80,000.) Sorriento read a prepared statement naming crime victims, cited a Troy-area case involving an undocumented immigrant charged with murder in Pittstown, and named a Lansingburgh incident involving an undocumented driver. Casey described a neighborhood meeting where Operation Tidal Wave, a joint law enforcement operation, was misconstrued and said he worried about activists who attempt to “unmask, identify, dox, and intimidate law enforcement.” Defeated 3-4.

Source: 2025-09-18_Finance_Meeting.md

October 2, 2025 — Finance and Regular Meeting

  • Ord. 46 (LDC Development Agreement for Proctors project): 5-2. Vera and Spain-McLaren voted no. Steele voted yes after the building tour changed his view.

The ordinance authorized the mayor to enter into a Local Development Agreement with the Troy LDC, JRN Development LLC (doing business as Columbia Development Companies), and Columbia Proctors Realty LLC to convert the former Proctors Theater into a new city hall. The not-to-exceed total was $11.5 million, with LDC contributing $250,000 toward development costs and the city contributing up to an additional $250,000 from an existing capital account holding approximately $600,000. Vera asked detailed questions establishing that SHPO had toured the building twice, that the city would occupy approximately 30,000 square feet versus 36,000 at the current location, and that the triple-net lease structure makes the city responsible for all building maintenance, though Donnelly said LDC committed to carry building insurance. Vera noted she had requested project documents from the administration in March and never received a response. On the Regular Meeting floor, Vera said: “This is a rushed plan. It has lacked transparency. The council has been totally cut out of the process and remained so by the scheme of using the LDC.” She added that she had received a call on the way to the meeting from “a very well-respected architect who is extremely concerned that this is going to destroy the theater as we have known it.” Steele, who had voted no in August, voted yes in October: “I have faith in the mayor. She ran a state agency for six years with a huge budget and large projects.”

  • Res. 95 (video conferencing public hearing, Regular Meeting passage): 4-3.

Final passage of the resolution scheduling a public hearing on the video conferencing local law. Same split as the September 18 Finance meeting: Sorriento, Keal, and Casey no. No new debate on the merits at this meeting.

  • Res. 99 (LDC as bond issuer for Proctors): 4-3. Vera and Spain-McLaren voted no, along with a third member.

The resolution designated the Troy Local Development Corporation as an on-behalf-of issuer of tax-exempt bonds for the Proctors project financing. It passed the same 4-3 split as the surrounding Proctors votes. No separate debate on this resolution beyond its connection to the development agreement appears in the transcript.

Source: 2025-10-02_Finance_Regular_Meeting.md

November 6, 2025 — Finance and Regular Meeting

  • LL 2 (video conferencing for council and public bodies, local law): 4-3. Sorriento, Keal, and Casey voted no.

The local law amended Chapter 2 of the city code to add authorization for remote participation under emergency circumstances for council members and all other public bodies. Originally listed as co-sponsored by Steele; corrected on the floor to Brosnan. Same split as the September and October votes on this subject.

  • Ord. 54 (Proctors Theater lease, 30 years at $675,000/year): 4-3. Spain-McLaren, Vera, and Steele voted no; Keal, Brosnan, Sorriento, and Casey voted yes.

This was the binding commitment, voted three days after the November 4 election that swept in a new Democratic supermajority. Total project cost approximately $11.1 million: $1.8 million building acquisition, $8.1 million construction, with the remainder in capitalized interest and fees. The meeting ran over four hours, nearly all consumed by this item. Roughly 20 public speakers came, mostly in opposition. Architect John White said the construction estimate was implausible given a 2010 assessment putting restoration at $10 million, and that the project would violate Secretary of Interior standards for historic preservation. Noreen McKee raised the financial math: with base rent capped at $685,000 and bond interest potentially exceeding that cap, the LDC could face a shortfall before the city occupies the building. Vera dismantled one pillar of the administration’s financial comparison: the 3% annual escalator built into the current lease was added by this administration when it renegotiated the prior lease; the original 2012 to 2022 agreement had no escalator. Steele said she had written to the administration in June and every month since requesting project information and received no response, and argued the outgoing council had no business binding its successors to a 30-year, $11 million commitment on four votes. Casey, voting yes, argued that the November 4 election results were “a national anti-Republican wave, not a referendum on the city hall proposal.” Supporter Jeff Buell said a full theater restoration would cost $60 million or more, making the building unviable as a performance venue, and that the “box within a box” construction method would preserve the exterior while fitting a functional city hall inside.

Source: 2025-11-06_Finance_Regular_Meeting.md

November 20, 2025 — Finance and Special Meeting

  • Ord. 59 (First Columbia CAM fee settlement, $134K): 5-1-1. Vera voted no; Steele abstained as an IDA member.

The settlement resolved two notices of claim filed by First Columbia 433 River Street, LLC, the owner of the building where city hall is currently located, over disputed CAM (common area maintenance) charges. The city signed a new lease in July 2024, backdated to January 1, 2024, which included CAM charges approximately four times higher than before. The city paid rent but disputed the elevated CAM charges, arguing proper notice of the increase had not been given. Under the settlement, the city pays $134,000 in 2024 CAM charges without interest or penalty; in exchange, the city supports First Columbia’s application to the Troy IDA for a 10-year extension of the building’s PILOT agreement, with the understanding that if the IDA does not approve the extension, all parties can return to litigation. Corporation Counsel Morrissey framed it as “a near-win” given the city is vacating the building anyway. Brosnan pushed back: “If there were no dispute, there’d be no need to settle the claim,” noting the council had approved the July 2024 lease that created the very CAM charge dispute now being settled. Steele abstained because she is a member of the IDA board that will rule on the PILOT extension. No on-the-record statement from Vera explaining her no vote appears in the transcript.

Source: 2025-11-20_Finance_Special_Meeting.md

December 1, 2025 — Finance and Special Budget Meeting

  • Ord. 65 (water rate increase approximately 9%, sewer rate increase approximately 12%): 5-2. Steele and Vera voted no.

The rate increases were projected to generate roughly $470,000 in additional annual revenue. Before the vote, Vera caught a typographical error in the ordinance: the proposed sewer rate read $3.968 per unit, but the correct figure (75% of the new water rate) is $3.698; the six and nine were transposed. A motion to amend and correct passed. Vera also asked which municipalities outside Troy tie their contracts to the city’s rate schedule; the administration named Brunswick, Schaghticoke, Poestenkill, and North Greenbush. A council member pressed on why the projected revenue gain was not fully reflected in budget revenue lines; officials explained they used a conservative three-to-four year flow average. Note: the Finance Committee clerk’s minutes erroneously record a 7-0 vote; the video transcript and the Special Meeting clerk’s minutes both confirm 5-2 with Steele and Vera opposed.

  • Res. 116 (2026 budget adoption): 4-3. Vera, Steele, and Spain-McLaren voted no.

The resolution adopted the Mayor’s Recommended Budget for Fiscal Year 2026, with the amended general fund totaling $89,460,323. Two amendments passed before the final vote: Sorriento moved to shift $125,000 from the City Clerk’s consultant services line to Facilities to fund the city’s temporary animal shelter, which had been without a permanent arrangement for roughly two years after the Humane Society contract was terminated; and Vera moved to reduce the contingency account from $700,000 to $600,000, freeing $100,000 to help fund the Downtown BID assessment increase. Spain-McLaren noted that minority members had been in contact with the BID board for months and said she wished minority members had been more directly at the negotiating table during BID discussions. The 4-3 final vote reflects the consistent minority position throughout the 2025 council term.

Source: 2025-12-01_Finance_Special_Budget_Meeting.md

December 30, 2025 — Finance and Special Meetings

  • Res. 124 (Frear Park pavilion SEQR negative declaration): 5-2. Vera and Steele voted no.

The negative declaration determined that the Frear Park multi-purpose pavilion project would have no significant adverse environmental effect. Steele pressed the administration during the meeting: no site plan or location map had been included in the council packet, only a rough cost estimate. CHA Engineering’s Nick acknowledged no detailed design existed, only a program and rough order-of-magnitude cost figures. A public speaker who identified as autistic and cited fiscal responsibility concerns said she was “astounded that environmental clearance was being granted without a site plan.” Jessica Bennett later reported at the January 8, 2026 public forum that she had called the city clerk at 3:00 PM on December 30 to request project plans and was told the clerk did not have them, a potential violation of the 24-hour public availability requirement for SEQR documents. Vera also raised concerns about New York State finance law’s useful-life limits: structures, parking, and playgrounds carry different legally permissible bonding periods, and the project bundled three distinct sites under a single authorization.

  • Res. 125 ($6M Frear Park pavilion bond): 5-2. Vera and Steele voted no.

The bond resolution authorized $6 million in serial bonds for the Frear Park multi-use project: a prefabricated restaurant and community building (approximately 150 seats, commercial kitchen, year-round HVAC) replacing the long-closed Park Pub on the former tennis court footprint; an inclusive playground at North Lake; a playground upgrade near the ice rink; new tennis and pickleball courts; and parking expansion. Total project capacity with the bond plus $3 million in remaining ARPA funds was estimated at $7 to $9 million. Administration arguments for proceeding: the city’s credit rating is A+; fiscal advisors confirmed no concern at the $6 million level; the city had recently paid off approximately $17 million in existing debt; an authorized bond strengthens competitive grant applications; and the ARPA spending deadline is December 31, 2026, making delay costly. Casey, voting yes, acknowledged the incoming Democratic supermajority elected November 4 would be responsible for debt service and said he wished they had been making this decision, but still voted in favor.

  • Ord. 86 (capital budget amendment, $5M to $6M for Frear Park): 5-2. Vera and Steele voted no.

Originally written at a $5 million figure, Spain-McLaren moved during the Special Meeting to amend it to $6 million to match Res. 125; Casey seconded; the amendment passed and the ordinance as amended passed 5-2. Vera and Steele voted no, consistent with their opposition to Res. 124 and Res. 125.

Source: 2025-12-30_Finance_Special_Meetings.md

2026

The seven-member Democratic council seated in January 2026 voted unanimously on nearly all matters. One vote departed from 7-0 in the first six months of the new term.

March 19, 2026 — Committee Night and Finance Meeting

  • Res. 35 (Flock Safety ALPR contract renewal, $78,000): Tabled 7-0.

The Finance Meeting drew an estimated 150-plus members of the public, more than double any prior Troy council meeting, with over 40 speakers opposing the contract. The core problem: the 30-day notice of non-renewal window expired March 1, the council did not receive the contract until Friday, March 13 after 5 PM, and by that point the auto-renewal had already triggered without council approval. Council members documented multiple additional concerns. McKee cited contract section 4.2, which grants Flock a “perpetual, worldwide license to use and distribute data,” and noted approximately 30 agencies had canceled Flock contracts nationally in 2025, including incidents where a Georgia agency searched Danville, IL data over 4,800 times using immigration-related keywords, and Mountain View, CA had data sharing enabled without the city’s knowledge. Favreau noted this was the third time in 2026 the council had been asked to approve an already-expired or auto-renewed contract. DiLorenzo said the council had requested two years of audit logs and received 25 random data points, calling the response disrespectful. Struber, citing a technology background, said her “stomach dropped” reading the contract and asked for a SOC 2 security report that was not provided. The annual contract cost is approximately $156,000. Flock sent a public affairs manager rather than a technical representative who could answer data-practice questions. Police Chief DeWolf defended the tool, citing specific resolved cases: a Second Avenue hit-and-run, a Sixth/106th Street homicide, an HVCC stabbing, a Fifth Avenue armed robbery, and a missing persons case. Mayor Mantello noted the contract originated in 2021 from a community request about violent crime during the prior administration. Spain-McLaren moved to table pending receipt of outstanding information from Flock. The motion carried 7-0. Mantello issued a state of emergency on April 1 to authorize a $78,000 payment without council or auditor approval; the council filed suit in Rensselaer County Supreme Court in May.

Source: 2026-03-19_Committee_Night_Finance_Meeting.md

All sources are meeting transcripts from the TroyDems City Council Meeting archive. Minute-level records for some meetings were not formally filed; transcript-based counts reflect what was recorded.