TROY — Mayor Carmella Mantello’s opponents on the City Council took steps Thursday to limit her power to declare public emergencies.
The all-Democratic panel held two public hearings Thursday night on a measure to rewrite the city’s rules for the circumstances under which a mayor can declare a state of emergency. The council must hold three such hearings before it can vote on the city charter change.
The legislation’s sponsor, Shikole Struber, said the law would install guardrails around when mayors would be legally permitted to declare a public emergency, altering the charter to more closely align with guidelines surrounding executive emergency powers outlined in state law. Struber introduced the proposal in June…