Thursday, December 31, 2009

County Legislator Angelo Santabarbara Announces his Switch to the Democratic Party

County Legislator Angelo Santabarbara Announces his Switch to the Democratic Party

Schenectady County Legislator Angelo Santabarbara has announced that he has officially changed his enrollment to the Democratic Party. “In my first two years as a County Legislator, I was pleased to work with all of the Legislators in helping to make Schenectady County a better place to live. I was especially pleased that two of my initiatives - a ban on the use of BPA in baby bottles, and a plan to provide court security for the Princetown Town Court, that were both enacted by the Legislature in a bipartisan manner.

“I was treated with dignity and respect by the Democratic Majority on my proposals and plan to continue working in the best interests as part of that majority. With that said, I am pleased to announce that I am joining the Democratic Majority in the Schenectady County Legislature, and that I will be a part of the Democratic caucus in January. I have witnessed first-hand, the outstanding progress in revitalizing and rebuilding our economy that can be achieved by working together in a constructive fashion. I am convinced that Schenectady County is on the right track with leaner, more efficient government, and robust economic development strategy. At this point, I believe that I can play a constructive role in that progress with my expertise as a civil engineer and work together towards a brighter future for Schenectady County.”

County Legislative Chairwoman Susan E. Savage welcomed Angelo Santabarbara in the Democratic caucus stating, “As a Legislator, Angelo has put forth constructive proposals to benefit all county residents. He is a welcome addition to the Democratic caucus, and will continue to put the people of Schenectady County first.”

County Democratic Chairman Brian Quail stated, “Angelo Santabarbara is welcome into a resurgent Schenectady County Democratic Party that has governed well. He shares our values, and as an engineer has the expertise to make a significant contribution to County government.”

Fireworks in Schenectady County's Downtown Tonight!

Tonight, end the year enjoying Schenectady County's revitalized downtown and watching fireworks on New Year's Eve!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Schenectady County's Downtown is Resurgent

"Come to downtown Schenectady and you feel happy -- to see it now, you can see what people have accomplished," said Senator Charles Schumer during his recent visit. Schenectady County has seen a dramatic revitalization and while the downtown gets alot of the attention, throughout the county people can see the dramatic change that has taken place since Democratic Leadership implemented the unified economic development plan. Check out this CBS piece featuring Susan Savage, Chair of the County Legislature, talk about the economic development in the downtown.


Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Senator Schumer Completes His 62- County Tour In Schenectady

Senator Charles Schumer continued his 11 year tradition of visiting every county in the state by visiting Schenectady County and touring Proctors Theatre. During his visit, Senator Schumer pledged support for Proctors' innovative energy district which uses green technology to provide heat and electricity to both the theater and neighboring businesses. Schumer further stated he would work for federal funding to support this program.

In 2004, Senator Schumer won 61 of the 62 counties during his reelection bid in large part because of his tireless efforts to be a senator for all of New York. Schenectady County holds a particularly special place in his heart as it was here in 1998 that the then-Congressman Schumer showed his strength in Upstate New York by winning the Schenectady County straw poll. Schumer went to win the Democratic Primary and defeat the entrenched Republican incumbent in that year.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Another Economic Development Win for Schenectady County

The unified economic development plan put in place in 2004 continues to pay dividends even in this difficult national economic climiate. Schenectady County officials have announced that Dimension Fabricators will purchase the former Super Steel facility in Glenville, representating an addition $5 million investment by the company as they continue to expand in Schenectady County.

“Through the efforts of our economic development team we were able to quickly put this building back to use, enabling this fast growing company to remain in Schenectady County,” said Susan Savage, Chair of the Schenectady County Legislature. “I want to thank Dimension Fabricators for investing in Schenectady County and look forward to their continued expansion in our community.”

Watch the annoucement below.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

"Wicked" Made Possible by Democratic Leadership

Check out this great letter to the editor published in the Daily Gazette on December 20.

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Countywide cooperation paved way for ‘Wicked’

"Wicked" coming to Proctors for its month-long run is a huge win for Schenectady County. Like the visit by "Phantom" in 2006, which the Chamber of Schenectady estimated brought in over $10 million to local businesses, downtown merchants are sure to be filled during this holiday season.

Considering the national economy, we need to pause and remember what made this economic renaissance possible. In 2004, Democrats on the Schenectady County Legislature, led by [Chairwoman] Susan Savage, brought in Ray Gillen, a well-known and respected economic development expert, and set out a new plan for countywide economic development.

Proctors became the centerpiece of a rebuilt downtown, with Metroplex investing $10 million, and the Schenectady County Legislature kicking off the fund-raising drive with a grant of $1 million and capping it with a $450,000 grant, along with a 15-year, $200,000-per-year agreement to sustain the centerpiece. It was this support and the theater expansion that made shows like "Phantom" and "Wicked" possible.

The new plan has paid major dividends. From the new Clinton Square, Hampton Inn, and Aperitivo [Bistro] to a rejuvenated Jay Street and Parker Inn, what was a struggling downtown is now the thriving heart of a resurgent county.

While the current economic climate is difficult, we know we have leadership that can weather the economic storms to come because they have a proven track record of doing it before.

Steve Smith
Glenville

Monday, December 21, 2009

Another Green Initiative From Schenectady County

Schenectady County is partnering with Green Planet Products LLC to become the first municipality in New York State to begin testing 100 percent biodegradable motor oil. Susan E. Savage, Chair of the Schenectady County Legislature, announced this new “green” initiative at the League of Conservation Voters Eco-Breakfast where she was being honored with the Environmental Champion Award for efforts to make Schenectady County a leader in environmental policy.

Chair Savage and the Democratic Majority on the County Legislature have worked to position Schenectady County as a leader in renewable energy. This effort helped to attract GE’s Renewable Energy Headquarters and new Battery Plant to Schenectady County, creating more than a thousand new jobs in the years ahead.

From expanding park land to prioritizing climate smart practices, Schenectady County Democrats continue to work to make Schenectady a great place to live, work, and raise a family, not only for our current residents, but for generations to come.

For more information on this initiative, click here.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Big Deal for GE is a Big Win for Schenectady County

In 2004, the new Democratic majority on the County Legisalture set out to change economic development in Schenectady County. This effort resulted in the unified economic development team and changes to the tone of the County's efforts. Now Schenectady County continues to see the major positive results.

Just one of the areas of change has been the new positive relationship with GE. The Daily Gazette on February 22, 2009 quoted Jan Smith, spokeswoman for GE Energy, as saying "When the new group came in, they said we should have a climate for change. There has been an effort on [their part] to work with us and us with them." The article further stated "Smith credited the changed environment with GE's decision to locate 500 jobs related to solar and wind power generation."

Now that investment continues to pay dividends as GE has announced it has received a $1.4 billion contract to produce wind turbines. Project management and service will take place right here in Schenectady County. Read more coverage of this deal here.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Senator Gillibrand and Congressman Tonko visit Schenectady launching effort to combat senior fraud

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Paul Tonko joined Susan E. Savage, Chair of the Schenectady County Legislature and Mayor Brian Stratton at Proctors recently to discuss efforts to combat senior fraud. On the federal level, Senator Gillibrand announced several bills she will be introducing to increase criminal and civil penalties for defrauding seniors and incentivize states to educate and protect seniors. Chairwoman Savage also announced a local initiative intended to help educate and protect seniors in our community.

Read more news coverage here.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

A "Wicked" Good Investment

The Schenectady County Legislature, led by Chairwoman Susan E. Savage, has declared December as “Wicked Month” in Schenectady County and anticipate the award winning musical will generate an estimated $10 million in revenue for our local businesses.

“This is an exciting time for Schenectady County as we welcome thousands of visitors to our downtown,” said Chair Savage. “Our support of this historic theater has been a “wicked” good investment as the County’s efforts to rebuild downtown are really paying off for Schenectady County taxpayers.”

To attract blockbuster touring Broadway shows, Proctors proposed on an exciting new $30 million expansion. In 2004, the Schenectady County Legislature kicked off the expansion campaign with a $1 million grant and transferred the Carl Company to Proctors for a new box office, the GE Theatre, new conference spaces, and retail space. This was followed by a $10 million investment by Metroplex which was approved by the County Legislature. In 2007, the Schenectady County Legislature awarded an additional $450,000 grant that completed Proctors fundraising efforts. That same year, the County and Proctors entered into a 15 year agreement that would award Proctors $200,000 per year from the county hotel bed tax to support this important downtown venue.

The fruit of that investment has is highly evident in the rejuvenated downtown of a once struggling city. This investment in Proctors has benefited the entire County by spurring additional investment including the Bowtie Cinema, Parker Inn, Hampton Inn, Aperitivo, Bombers Burritos, Clinton Square, Paul Mitchell The School, and the soon to be completed new City Center.

Watch this news story from Capital News Nine and hear more about this sucessful investment.