RENSSELAER, N.Y. — Voters went to the polls in the city and said: "I like Mike!" Residents elected Michael Stammel, a Republican, as the next Rensselaer mayor.
Stammel’s election victory ousts incumbent Rensselaer Mayor Richard Mooney, a Democrat, who served as mayor after Daniel Dwyer, a Democrat, died.
Stammel earned 1,124 votes (53.40%), while Mooney received 976 votes (46.37%).
Stammel, who is also the chairman of the Rensselaer County Legislature, reflected on the historic nature of winning in what is a traditionally Democrat stronghold.
“To be elected to the legislature, to be elected as the chairman of the county legislature and be elected as the mayor of the city of Rensselaer, says something about my credibility, people know that if they come to me with a complaint, I’ll get the job done,” Stammel said.
In addition, Stammel commented on what he believes drove voters to the polls to make a change.
“I think the residents in the city of Rensselaer came out and understood some of the bigger issues that were going on in the city that the current administration and council have ignored,” Stammel said.
“I plan on providing a more open government for the city, so people know what’s going on. That way they would’ve been better prepared with wanting to support the Dunn dump or not and other projects going on through the city that residents have some concerns about that they’re just not made aware of until it’s too late,” Stammel added of bringing transparency to city hall.
Stammel also detailed priorities he’s looking to tackle for residents on day one.
“There’s some administrative things I have to look at, but the most important thing is the city’s finances and where it is. As you know the city of Rensselaer this past year had not filed any reports with the comptroller’s office like they’re required to do annually. That tells me that there may be something wrong with the finances in the city of Rensselaer that need to be looked at,” Stammel said of the need to audit city finances.
Last year Rensselaer taxpayers saw their tax bills jump nearly two percent. Rensselaer taxpayers pay $6.5 million in property taxes towards the city’s $15.6 million budget. In addition, the city’s payroll jumped 12 percent in just one year.
A volunteer firefighter for more than 40 years, Stammel emphasized the need to restore volunteerism throughout the city.
“[I want to] move step by step to do things about supporting volunteerism in the city of Rensselaer. Getting a firehouse in the lower end of the city of Rensselaer that hasn’t had fire protection close enough to them, since they closed two firehouses down that would’ve normally been responding to their homestead,” Stammel said.
Adding to the importance of public safety, Stammel also wants to bring an ambulance back into the city of Rensselaer.
“This [Mooney] administration did nothing to help the volunteer ambulances or volunteer firemen in the city of Rensselaer through their whole administration and I know volunteerism saves tax dollars so that’s something that I want to bring back to the city,” Stammel added.
Following the election night loss, Mooney reflected on his time in office.
"I have had the good fortune and honor to serve as our city's mayor for the past year, continuing the incredible work the late Mayor Dan Dwyer, our city departments, and the common council have done to make Rensselaer an incredible place to live and raise a family. The election may be over, but the battle is not over to make our city a destination for families and emergent businesses to make Rensselaer their home," Mooney stated.
"I'm proud of the accomplishments my administration made for our city and our families here. Thank you to my family - the true rockstar of our family, my wife, Amy, my children, Caelin and Patrick - for being by my side during this journey. And most importantly, I thank the people of Rensselaer for the honor and privilege to have served them in the council and in the mayor's office," Mooney added.
As noted above, Stammel also serves as Chairman and Majority Leader of the Rensselaer County Legislature. Prior to running, Stammel wrote the State Attorney General’s office, stating there were no legal conflicts within either city or county charter in holding both offices simultaneously. Hence, Stammel plans to serve in both positions, both of which are part-time.
“I think the credibility that people have in me is something that I’m proud of, and they expect me to do well and I want to make sure I meet their expectations,” Stammel noted of his ability to serve in both roles.
As Chairman, Stammel proved his ability to advocate for Rensselaer residents, introducing and passing a formal resolution in the County Legislature that urges the NYS Department of Health to monitor the air in Rensselaer.
“Thank you to the residents of the City of Rensselaer, who’ve put their faith in me, and I’ll do everything that I can to bring forth those issues that are important to them and make sure that they know that I’m going to take care of them no matter what,” Stammel added.
