TROY – The city’s political landscape has changed as Mayor Patrick Madden and former City Council President Rodney Wiltshire face each other in their second Democratic mayoral primary in four years.

Unlike the 2015 party contest, Wiltshire and Madden are running head-to-head without a third candidate in the mix for the June 25 primary. And, prime supporters like Councilmen Anasha Cummings- D-4th District, and Councilman David Bissember, D-5th District, are aligned with Madden and endorsed by the city Democratic Committee instead of running alongside Wiltshire.

The Collar City’s always tricky finances, revitalization, neighborhood renaissance and tax base expansion are again the main issues the two candidates face as they wage door-to-door combat for the support from the city’s 9,442 Democratic voters.

Though from different generations, Madden, 64, and Wiltshire, 44, agree that sanctuary city status isn’t something the city needs to adopt. They don’t back the legislation that may be voted upon by the City Council in July to adopt that status.

Madden is seeking re-election to continue the work he began when he entered office in 2016.

“We’re just getting going. We’ve got a lot of projects in the hopper,” said Madden, who led the non-profit housing organization TRIP before he was elected mayor.

The city still has $21.3 million in Troy Municipal Assistance Corp. debt to repay. That will be gone in a few years, releasing nearly $6 million in annual revenue that’s expected to be devoured by increasing expenses. “We have a lot of deferred maintenance we to face up to,” Madden said.

The mayor has made fiscal health the priority for the city through “fact-based” budgeting, which has resulted in improvements in the bond rating, approval in the state Comptroller’s Office annual budget reviews and healthier budget reserves. It’s also meant instituting a trash fee that’s drawn criticism from Republicans and some property owners; more control over spending; and raising property taxes.

“We’re on the right path,” said Madden, warning that vigilance has to be maintained to avoid falling into past revenue issues.

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Wiltshire wants to revoke the trash fee, which he calls a tax. He said when elected he would study the city’s books to find areas to eliminate waste and increase efficiencies to replace the lost trash fee income.

“There’s no leadership. There’s chaos all over the place,” Wiltshire said about the current state at City Hall. Wiltshire owns Empire Solar and Electric.

Tax base, development

Madden said the city must expand its tax base to increase revenues. He said proposed development of the South Troy waterfront will help to this.

The neighborhoods are benefiting from the successful ongoing redevelopment of downtown and the city’s allocation of federal Community Development Block Grants to improve infrastructure, Madden said. The city, he said, will continue to work with neighborhood groups.

Lansingburgh and North Central are ripe for investment, Wiltshire said. It’s time to create a business improvement district for Lansingburgh, which downtown has, to encourage improvements, Wiltshire said.

Wiltshire said he would end payment-in-lieu-of-tax agreements for most projects pointing out that Troy is attractive enough to entice developers. He also wants to working with the construction unions and their apprenticeship programs to end blight and restore tax-delinquent properties to the tax rolls.

The city’s most prominent development opportunity is 1 Monument Square where City Hall once stood before it was knocked down. The city is on its fifth attempt to develop the site.

Madden said that by involving residents and businesses in preliminary planning the project selected to go there should meet community desires. Wiltshire said the city should seek more than commercial and apartments at the site and bring in something that will pump business into downtown.

Wiltshire said the city failed its youngest residents by closing the South Troy pool and the Knickerbacker Park pool and ice rink. Madden’s administration closed the facilities with plans to replace the deteriorating sites. A rebuilt South Troy pol is expected to open in weeks.

Wiltshire acknowledges the lost of support from his running mates of four years. He sees the absence of a third candidate as benefitting him this time. In 2015, Ernest Everett was the third Democratic mayoral candidate. Wiltshire and his supporters viewed Everett as siphoning off votes.

Campaign finance

Madden has outraised and outspent Wiltshire so far, according to campaign financial disclosure reports filed with the state Board of Elections.

Madden’s campaign has raised $54,847 and spent $27,062, according to his financial records. Wiltshire has yet to report any spending and has $24,303 in his treasury, of which $12,000 is money he lent his campaign, according to his disclosure forms.

Tom Reale is the Republican candidate in the November election.

Voting on Tuesday, June 25, is noon to 9 p.m.