VIDEO: Troy Mayor Janice Daniels Delivers State of the City Address
Daniels highlighted Troy's recent achievements, addressed future challenges and spoke momentarily about the Troy Transit Center, before a crowd of more than 50 Thursday night at the Troy Community Center.
Troy Mayor Janice Daniels delivered her prepared State of the City address Thursday evening to more than 50 audience members at the Troy Community Center.
Daniels, who is facing a recall election in November, was greeted with applause and a standing ovation from many.
"I hope to make this, my first state of the city address, an enjoyable, enlightening and energizing look at the accomplishments and the challenges of Troy, the place we call home," Daniels began.
Her speech, which highlighted recent achievements and improvements within the city, received additional standing ovations when Daniels introduced her son, Marine Cpl. Mark J. Daniels, and again upon finishing her speech.
While Daniels had much support in the audience, more than a dozen members of the political action committee Recall Janice Daniels also attended the event, showing their opposition to the mayor by wearing white shirts urging voters to "Vote Yes to Recall Mayor Daniels."
Daniels, however, did not mention the recall in her speech, which ran just over 25 minutes, though she took a moment to reiterate her position on the Troy Transit Center, which she has consistently voted against – and which is also one of the four reasons listed on the petitions used to trigger the upcoming Nov. 6 recall election.
"The two polarized political factions will never agree with each other," Daniels said. "One side says that the transit center is the key to economic future growth. The other faction says it is folly to believe that we can spend money that doesn't exist for a project with limited demand and no clear-cut design strategies."
Daniels went on to say that, should the project succeed, she will offer her congratulations to its proponents. But if the project fails, "I will quietly look for solutions to the new problems that we will be presented with," Daniels said.
Plans for a $6.27 million scaled-back version of the original transit center were eventually approved by City Council in January in a split vote.
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Randy Husk
11:05 am on Friday, September 21, 2012
What was the speech all about....she mentioned many great things about the CIty that she had nothing to do with and nothing that she had done....One GLARING error was her thanking Stewart Frankel Development for Somerset North. That company had nothing whatsoever to do with Somerset North. It was a partnership between Frankel Associates (Sam and Stanley Frankel) and Forbes Cohen Partners. So about 25 or 30 of her supporters showed up to listen to her spout off on her federal government ideology and giving credit to the State and County for the 3 year budgets instead of thanking John Szerlag for his foresight and being far ahead of everyone else in recognizing the fiscal dangers ahead.
firelight
5:04 pm on Friday, September 21, 2012
Over a million dollars showed up immediately after the election. So much for 3 year forecasts. Close an award-winning library when the money shows up right after the vote? That is what almost happened in John Szerlag's "riegn." If you like that sort of thing, maybe you should move to Florida.
Lynn Hodorek
9:57 pm on Friday, September 21, 2012
Zero percent of this comment makes any sense/contains factual or useful information.
Sue Martin
2:37 pm on Saturday, September 22, 2012
The problem with comments like this are that you present information out of context. The money that was able to be added back into the budget was from ongoing contract negotiations that Mr. Szerlag had been quite publicly working on for some time. Everyone always knew there would be some savings from that...but not enough to sustain a library year after year.
firelight
12:39 am on Saturday, September 22, 2012
Thanks for your typical snarky comment. I think the same about your many senseless comments.
Chris P.
2:37 pm on Saturday, September 22, 2012
Firelight, I'm sorry, but your comment doesn't make any sense. What million dollars after what election? As I recall, a million dollars isn't near enough to run the Library, in any event. Certainly not for 7 days a week. (Before you accuse me of being snarky, too, I would truly appreciate clarification at what you are implying with the above comment.)
Toby Gosselin
12:42 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
I LOVE the Patch !
Firelight, whose fire are you lighting these days? You lost credibility...residents are smart and informed now. I am hopeful the Frankel Associates (Sam and Stanley Frankel) and Forbes Cohen Partners work together with their constituents to demand for THE RECALL of MAYOR JANICE DANIELS by VOTING "YES" to RECALL Janice Daniels from the office of Mayor, November 6, 2012.