Courtesy Adam for Finance campaign.
Adam Israel, left, with Matthew Taylor (a campaign manager); Commissioner of Public Safety, Robin Dalton, who is running for mayor; and former Springs Democratic Party Chair, Charles Brown.
Adam Israel released a statement today after a campaign launch event last night at the Saratoga Inn. Israel is running for Commissioner of Finance as an independent on the Saratoga Stronger Together line.
He is joined on the Stronger Together line with current Commissioner of Pubic Safety, Robin Dalton, who is running for mayor. Commissioner of Finance Michele Madigan is stepping down from the position at the end of her term this year. Charles Brown, a former Democratic Party chair, seen in the picture, was seen at Dalton's mayoral kick-off, too. [Read our coverage here.]
Israel would step into a department that is only now seeing bright spots in the economic future after a year of uncertainty. [Read our coverage here.]
He has a degree in business management and finance from RPI and worked for the accounting firm KPMG.
He wrote that when he first decided to run, he was facing a budget with short term debt at $11.3 million, and an unforeseeable future. He gave credit in the remarks to Madigan and said he would continue with her work. He reiterated what Robin Dalton said in her mayoral campaign launch: he is running as an independent to keep party politics out of Saratoga's City Hall.
He also told the story of his family’s small hotel on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The hotel sufferend under two powerful hurricanes but was spared. He stayed on the island, he wrote, to work with local authorities and the U.S. government to help in the relief efforts, even after his family returned to the mainland.
“This, Saratoga, is why I am uniquely qualified to be your next commissioner of finance. I have the financial experience to be able to continue to lead Saratoga through her road of recovery and onto a path for the future,” he said.
In the statement provided to FoothillsBusinessDaily.com, Israel listed his agenda as:
- To practice fiscal discipline needed to continue to financially recover from the pandemic and continue to build the reserves to face whatever hardships we may face in the future.
- To use my experience working with multiple federal and local agencies to build consensus in our commission form of government with our 5-member council. To be able to work with everybody, regardless of party affiliation. To work with all Saratogians.
- To invest in our city’s Public Works and Public Safety departments keeping Saratoga safe and beautiful.
- To keep Saratoga’s downtown strong and vibrant, while protecting our greenbelt by making sure any development adheres to our comprehensive plan. To keep Saratoga, the city in the country.
- To continue Commissioner Madigan’s smart city initiative. Investing in technology that makes our city cleaner, safer and more accessible.
- To use my hospitality experience to work with discover Saratoga, The Saratoga Convention Center, as well as the chamber of commerce to diversify our tourism product, outside of weekends and racing season.
- To be truly independent working in the best interests of our city.