• School Board/budget elections
• City Council Committee/Finance Meetings
• Troy BID Board and Committee Meetings
• Meet the Mayors at Troy Savings Bank
• District Office Hours
• Land Bank Board Meeting

Tuesday, May 19

Election Day-Voters head to the polls for both Lansingburgh and Troy City districts to vote on budgets, ballot propositions, and school board.

Lansingburgh Central School District voters will have three candidates for two seats, as well as a school budget and a capital improvement project (school entrance, office, and football field replacement) on the ballot. More information on all of the above can be found here.

Lansingburgh polls will be open from 11 am to 8 pm. To find your polling place, click here.

Troy City School District voters have three candidates for three open seats, so barring the unlikely prospect of a successful write-in campaign, all of the candidates who appear on the ballot are likely to be sat.

While the proposed tax increase is 0%, a ballot proposition creating a $6M capital reserve fund as a 2% match for up to $300M in state-funded projects is also on the ballot.

Candidate, budget, and capital reserve fund information can be found here.

For TCSD voters, polls are open from 7:30 am to 8 pm. To check your polling place, click here. TCSD voters who require assistance locating their polling location may also contact the District Clerk at 518-328-5070.

Downtown Troy BID Marketing and Tourism- There will be a meeting of the BID Marketing and Tourism Committee at 9 am at the BID office (102 3rd St.) Topics of discussion will include Troy Night Out, June’s Pride Night Out, and needed website updates.

On the downtown marketing front, it is worth noting that the BID managed, with some assistance, to secure a $140K grant for events and programming related to the World Cup this summer, in conjunction with the Italian Community Center (see article.)

Individuals dubious of the BID’s ability to manage such programming will be gratified hear that Brad Lewis, executive director of the Land Bank, has stepped up to assist with management of the programming.

Unlike Troy City Council, the Planning Board, the ZBA, the LDC, the IDA, the CRC, the Troy Library, or the Land Bank, the BID neither streams nor records its meetings, so this meeting will be held in-person only.

Wednesday May 20

Land Bank- The Troy Community Land Bank will hold its regular monthly board meeting at 8:30 am at its offices (871 River St.)

At the time of this writing, no agenda has been provided, though it is possible there will be an update on the Home Repair Program, a $500k state grant to be administered by TCLB for the repair and maintenance of owner-occupied homes in Troy.

An agenda, when available, as well as minutes of previous TCLB meetings, can be found here. Livestreams and recordings of previous minutes can be found on the TCLB Youtube channel.

Thursday, May 21

If you have ever listened to the mayor’s endless self-aggrandizing speeches and thought to yourself ‘you could not pay me to listen to this,’ have I got a surprise for you…

The Rensselaer County Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Meet the Mayors event at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall (30 Second St) at 8:00 am, when people can pay (real money!) to hear Mantello, as well as Watervliet and Green Island mayors Charles Patricelli and Ellen McNulty-Ryan, respective, discuss issues of mutual concern.

Snark aside, pooling resources and coordinating planning among neighboring municipalities can be a cost-effective means to provide services to shared communities. Given the concerns about Mantello’s budgeting and management at the last presentation of the City’s financials to Council, it may be a prudent path forward.

Tickets to this event are $60 and can be purchased here.

Troy BID Board of Directors- If you, like me, can’t afford premium tickets for municipal dkabuki, the Downtown Troy BID will hold its monthly board meeting at 8:30 am at 333 Broadway (upstairs conference room.) Admission to this one is free.

Much discussed over the last several months, including the most recent governance committee meeting in April, has been a proposed update to the BID bylaws to shrink the board, as well as several other changes to board organization, including empowering the executive committee to act on behalf of the larger board.

No agenda has been posted for this meeting, and it is unclear where on the BID website one might find a link to the meeting agenda. Minutes of previous board and meetings, which do not include April 2026 instances or the most recent Governance Committee draft minutes, can be found here.

Unlike other taxpayer-funded entities such as Troy City Council, the Planning Board, the ZBA, the LDC, the IDA, the CRC, the Troy Library, or the Land Bank, the BID neither streams nor records its meetings, so this meeting will be held in-person only.

Troy City Council

Thursday is Troy City Council’s Committee and Finance night, starting at 5:30 and, given the subject matter, lasting until after all the good kitchens in town are closed (sigh):

5:30 - Public Safety- Up first is Local Law #3, which hopes to establish standards for the use of automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) giving Council the opportunity to meet with TPD regarding their concerns and refine the legislation with amendments prior to the public hearing on June 4.

At the May 7 Council meeting, it should be noted that comptroller Michael McNeff was unable or unwilling to answer basic questions posed by Council members regarding the City’s finances. It would be more than a little ironic if Troy Police and the Mantello administration, which are giving taxpayer money to a private company to gather information about Troy residents, are reluctant to provide basic information to Council members, as required by the City Charter, that they might fulfill their obligations to due diligence.

6:00- Science and Technology- The SciTech Committee will meet directly after Public Safety. Topics on the agenda include a check-in with the administration regarding its progress on crafting reasonable restrictions on battery energy storage systems (BESS, see Ordinance 3), as well as progress made on ADA access to City web content.

7:00- Finance Committee- the monthly Finance Committee meeting will take place at 7 pm (or later, likely.) Likely to change, the current agenda only includes two budget transfers, one concerning forestry and the other sewer, and the other a whopping $500,000 agreement with the Boys and Girls Club to staff both the South Troy and Knickerbacker pools to provide lifeguard staffing et al.

While I cannot recall with great accuracy the lifeguard funding amount proposed to Council as part of the 2026 budget, it seems the ask here is considerably more than allocated, so there remains a question-from where the administration plans to pull the remainder?

##### UPDATE #######

Two pieces of legislation have been added to the Finance agenda of interest:

ORD 19 amending Chapter 273 of the City Code, is being introduced by District 6 Councilmember Greg Campbell-Cohen, increasing the number of outstanding parking tickets necessary to allow cars parked on city streets to be towed from one to three, except in certain circumstances.

Irrational exuberance exhibited by Parking Enforcement and tow truck operators has long been an irritant (and financial drain) to working-class residents and drivers without easy access to off-street parking, so this proposed ordinance likely qualifies as welcome news to many.

RES 58 is the issuance of a $2M bond for a fire rescue squad vehicle. It will be remembered that last June, the Mantello administration waited until the last minute to make bond requests for essential equipment, and refused to answer any questions from Democrats on Coiuncil sent in writing ahead of the meeting regarding the financial outlays for their request, resulting in a similar bond measure failing.

Deputy Mayor Seamus Donnelly, in his memo of support for the bond, noted that the price of the vehicle has now increased by $100k, though as the administration is making this request in May, it seems you may be able to teach an old dog new tricks after all.

City Council meetings take place at 433 River St, 5th Floor. To access agendas, minutes, and to find links to livestream and remote participation options for public comment, click here. (Videoconferencing and livestream links are under public notices for each meeting.)

Saturday, May 23

District 4 Office Hours- District 4 Councilperson Noreen McKee will be hosting monthly office hours at The Verandah (6 Franklin Place) from 2-4 pm. This is a great opportunity for residents, businesses, and members of the public to engage Councilmembers on subject areas of interest or concern.

District 2 representative Shikole Struber will also be holding office hours in Knickerbacker Park from 10 am - 12 pm, specific location TBD. The current forecast calls for rain.

Have an event or meeting you'd like shared? Send an email to collarcitycitizen@gmail.com

• 2025 Troy Annual Financial Report + Quarterly Financials
• Flock Legislation
• Videoconferencing Comes to County Legislature?
• School Budget Hearing/Board Elections (TCSD)
• Land Bank, Library, ZBA
• Troy Social Cycling
• Capital Streets Community Walk and Talk

Monday, May 4

Troy Land Bank- The Troy Community Land Bank’s Acquisition and Disposition Committee will meet at 8:30 am at the offices of the TCLB, 415 River St Suite 101.

Per the agenda, properties under discussion include 415 Second St and 23 Glen Ave, as well as discussion regarding what one assumes is an upcoming auction of foreclosed properties from the City of Troy.

Livestreams and recordings of TCLB meetings can be found on the TCLB Youtube channel.

Troy Public Library- The board of the Troy Public Library will hold a special meeting at 5:30 at the Main Branch (100 Second St.) No agenda has been published for this meeting as of this writing. An agenda, minutes of previous meetings, and a Zoom link to join remotely can be accessed here when available.

Tuesday, May 5

Rensco Leg, pt i- Two committees of the Rensselaer County Legislature will hold meetings in-perosn only at 99 Troy Rd, East Greenbush. Social Services will meet at 3 pm, and Judiciary and Public Safety is scheduled at 4 pm. Agendas are behind the links.

**Troy Social Cycling-**The good folks at Troy Social Cycling have started up their weekly rides from Waterfront Park at 6:30 pm on Tuesdays. This week looks like a breezy trip down to the Troy-Menands bridge and a relaxing ride along the Empire State Trail through Watervliet. (I will note that it seems a shame to put yourself through all that cardio on Cinco de Mayo and not swing by Taqueria Tren Maya for a refuel.)

For more information on Troy Social Cycling, check out their Instagram page.

Wednesday, May 6

Troy Zoning Board of Appeals- The Troy ZBA will hold its monthly meeting at 5:30 pm at City Hall (433 River St, 5th Floor.) Among the items on the agenda is a setback variance for an accessory dwelling unit at 31 Christie St.

As of the last zoning update in 2022, I believe, ADUs are allowed on residential lots throughout the city, opening many opportunities for increased housing density, though to date the option has been rarely exercised.

Agendas, minutes, and Zoom links for remote public participation of the ZBA can be found here. Livestreams and recordings of previous ZBA meetings can be accessed through the ZBA Youtube page.

TSCD BOE- The Troy City School District Board of Education will hold a meeting at 6 pm at Troy Middle School (1976 Burdett Ave.) No agenda has been provided as of this writing, though minutes from previous board meetings indicate the agenda will include a budget hearing and presentations from the school board candidates, as necessary.

More information, including recordings of previous board meetings, can be found here. 

Rensco County Leg, pt ii- There will be three committee meetings of the Rensselaer County Legislature, to be followed by a public forum in preparation for the May 12 Regular Meeting. Things will kick off with a Public Works meeting at 3 pm, followed by Budget and Finance at 3:30 and Rules and Legislative Operations at 4 pm (agendas behind links.)

Accessibility is a major hindrance to many in Troy who wish to know the goings-on of their county government, so it is gratifying to see Resolution G/24, allowing livestream of legislative and committee meetings, being introduced for a vote next week. Those wishing to support this legislation, widely adopted by local governments and public bodies throughout New York State, should reach out to their legislators or speak at the Legislative Public Forum at 6 pm, which somewhat ironically would require a physical trip to County Legislative Chambers at 99 Troy Rd, East Greenbush.

Thursday, May 7

City Council Finance and Regular Meetings- Troy City Council will hold a special Finance meeting at 6 pm, followed by a Regular monthly meeting scheduled for 7 pm, when Local Law #3, which seeks to establish standards relating to the City’s use of automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) will be introduced. (It is expected this legislation will then be sent to the Public Safety Committee, chaired by the legislation’s author, Noreen McKee, for discussion on May 21.)

Don’t put away your popcorn yet, folks-the real show is likely to take place at the Finance Committee meeting, when comptroller Michael McNeff presents the 2025 Annual Financial Report to Council, as well as the expected quarterly reports for Q4 2025 and Q1 2026, wherein sales tax revenue, estimated by the mayor to rise by an astounding 13.4% in 2026, will be reported.

It is worth noting that in 2025, then-District 4 Councilman Aaron Vera, in his 2026 budget newsletter and during budget hearings, cast a suspicious eye on the mayor’s estimates, apparently with good reason. In the first quarter of 2026, Rensselaer County sales tax collections have actually gone down .4%, and 2025 estimates look to have missed their target as well. (For more information on sales tax revenue, click here.)

These meetings will take place starting at 6 pm at City Hall, 433 River St, 5th Floor. Agendas, as well as links to access Zoom and Youtube livestreams of Council meetings, can be accessed here (see Notice section for Zoom and livestream links.)

Friday May 8

Capital Streets will be hosting a Community Walk and Talk, starting at 6 pm at the Capital Streets office (106 Jefferson St.) Participants will be guided through Osgood Woods Neighborhood Nature Preserve, Canal Ave Park, with a special tour of notable Troy Union Railroad Infrastructure.

The walk will conclude at Defazio’s (216 Fourth St), where you can sit back and relax with a glass of wine and a refreshing antipasto, presumably while checking your new friends for ticks.

For more information, check out the Capital Streets Instagram page.

• Troy BID Beautification and Downtown Community meetings
• Frear Park Neighborhood Meeting/Upgrade Presentation
• LDC Mystery Meeting

Monday, April 27

BID Beautification- The Beautification Committee of the Downtown Troy Business Improvement District (BID) will hold a meeting at 5:30 at the BID office (102 Third St.) The BID’s beautification efforts are largely volunteer-run, so one might assume that publishing an agenda for the meeting would be a no-brainer, as such practice might help build community support for the committee’s efforts. One would be incorrect.

When no agenda is available, it is helpful to refer to the minutes of prior meetings to track progress on issues and gain the necessary understanding of the manner in which a public authority is being a good custodian of taxpayer funds.

Alas, no minutes of Troy BID committees has been published online, nor have minutes from any 2026 board meeting, a violation of NY Open Meetings Law (see §106, which was discussed in detail in a presentation by the NYS Committee on Open Government at the April 2025 BID Board meeting (see minutes).

This meeting will be held in-person only.

Tuesday, April 28

Downtown Troy Neighborhood Meeting- The Troy BID Quality of Life Committee will be holding a monthly meeting starting at 6 pm at 403 Fulton St (please note the venue change.)

This month there will be a presentation from Joseph’s House and Shelter executive director Amy LaFountain. Joseph's House and Shelter provides housing, support, and outreach to individuals and families in need throughout Troy and the Capital Region.

This meeting will be held in-person only.

Frear Park Neighborhood Meeting- Also at 6 pm, the City of Troy will be hosting a community meeting at Frear Park Ice  Rink (2701 Lavin Court.)

In its social media post announcing the meeting, the Mantello administration shared that members of the administration and CHA would be on-hand to present plans on park upgrades, including new playground equipment. Not mentioned among city officials in the social media post is District 3 , Councilperson Katie Spain-McLaren, who for months has been attempting to work with the administration to schedule a community meeting to gather input from residents on proposed changes before design changes became additional expense.

Councilmember Spain-McLaren  will also be in attendance.

Since the social media post did not mention a livestream option, it can be assumed that this meeting will take place in-perosn only.

Friday, May 1

Troy LDC Special Meeting- At the April 17 LDC Board Meeting, members discussed a special meeting to be held on May 1 at 9 am. While no notice or agenda has been  published as of this writing, agenda topics may include issues relating to the 2025 audited financial report, which from discussion at the meeting seemingly points to issues with  financial controls within the LDC, and/or reorganizational actions of the board in the wake of the departure of longtime chair Jeff Betts.

Agendas and minutes of previous meetings, as well as remote-access information for the public, will be published on the LDC website when available.

If you have a community meeting or event you would like included, please email collarcitycitizen@gmail.com.