Working together still works for Schenectady County residents

Schenectady Mayor Brian U. Stratton has been selected by the national Association of Government Accounts (AGA) to receive its prestigious Distinguished Local Government Leadership Award for outstanding financial leadership and revitalization in the City of Schenectady. The AGA is a national trade association representing more than 15,000 government and private-sector financial management professionals.

"Working together works" is more than a slogan, it is the overriding philosophy of Schenectady County Democrats. In 2004, when Susan Savage became Chair of the Schenectady County Legislature and Brian Stratton became Mayor of the city of Schenectady, years of Republican mismanagement and lack fiscal accountability had left both governments in awful fiscal shape. The city of Schenectady was on was on the brink of financial collapse with a projected $10.2 million deficit and the lowest credit rating by Moody’s Investors of any municipality in New York State.

Working together, Schenectady County Democrats retooled the local economy and restored fiscal responsibility. With a new unified economic development team recruited by County Legislative Chair Susan Savage and led by Ray Gillen, Schenectady County began to rebuild the downtown and bring new jobs to the industrial parks in Rotterdam and Glenville. Chair Savage also started the first ever Committee on Intergovernment Cooperation which saved taxpayers throughout the county millions through consolidation and cooperation. Mayor Stratton brought responsiblity back to the city's budget.

“Schenectady’s achievements in fiscal management and economic revitalization are not the product of any single individual, rather the result of a true team effort,” stated Mayor Stratton.Click here for more news coverage.