Keehn receives state endorsement
October 1, 2007 at 4:29 pm by Dennis Yusko
Times Union Local Politics Blog
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli endorsed Saratoga Springs Mayor Valerie Keehn for reelection on Monday, the mayor’s office announced.
DiNapoli, a Democrat, praised the first-term mayor, also a Democrat, for sound financial planning and environmental initiatives. Keehn supports building a new public safety building in the city, and Public Safety Commissioner Ronald Kim wants to start by using the city’s unbudgeted VLT revenue.
“She’s working hard to address the city’s financial needs by making sure that new revenues, like the special state aid for communities with video lottery facilities, are used for long-deferred capital projects,” DiNapoli said. “That’s a prudent way to plan for infrastructure improvements without putting the entire burden on property taxpayers.”
Scott Johnson, Republican candidate for mayor, favors using private contractors to build the public safety building in conjunction with a downtown parking garage.
Under the plan, the structures would be legally owned by a newly formed not-for-profit entity and governed by a majority-controlled board of city appointees. The city would enter into a lease agreement, and at the end of that, would be able to gain ownership of both buildings by paying $1, Johnson said. The plan would not saddle the city with debt, he said.
“Saratoga Springs needs solid leadership that isn’t afraid of new ideas and can think outside the box,” Johnson said.
Gordon Boyd, running for mayor on the Independence and Conservative lines, has said he would like to save $1-$2 million a year toward a new public safety facility.
