25: To Abstain, or Not to Abstain

On June 16, 2025, Troy’s city council gathered at city hall in the historic Hedley Building, located along New York's iconic Hudson River in upstate New York, to consider legislation which allows the city to borrow money for investments in Troy’s fire department.While the council ultimately approved nearly all the borrowing requests that evening, Troy's mayor Carmella Mantello decided to single out a council member for their decision to abstain from votes due to a potential conflict of interest.Using public records, videos of public meetings, and news reporting from the last decade, we scrutinize the mayor's claims and take a closer look at her own rationale for abstaining from votes when serving as council president between 2016 and 2023.Episode Notes:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GX01VLzhfY (Council Meeting, June 16, 2025)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kislTE9xI_w (Council Finance Committee Meeting Aug. 1, 2019)https://www.youtube.com/live/_EaCER9Ji88 (Regular City Council Meeting, Aug. 1, 2019)Troy Record: Troy City Council reluctantly signs off on new police contract (Oct. 19, 2017) Credits:Produced, edited, and hosted by John SalkaTheme music by Steven J. Goldman, Four Legs RecordsVisit troystorypod.com for upcoming episodes, guests, and bonus content.Connect with Troy Story on:FacebookInstagramThreadsYouTubeBlueskyThe views and opinions expressed by the host are their own and do not represent the views of their employer or any other entity