The Civic Capacity Year End Review - Part One
A look at some of the top stories that were read in the past year!
The week between Christmas and New Year’s is fairly quiet on the local government front, as it is on most fronts. Like last year, we are going to take the last two days of the year and review some of the top stories we covered and as a treat, we are opening up the paywall for all our readers.
No. 10 - Anatomy of Deception - Published March 31, 2024
The first few months of 2024 were filled with the drama surrounding the IOOF building, as the City of Troy shuttered the 100 block of West Main Street in the Summer of 2023. Shortly after the New Year, the Troy Historic Preservation Alliance went into overdrive to raise funds and save the building. On the other hand, it could be argued that the City failed to be an honest broker in the process.
No. 9 - BREAKING: Troy Looking to Borrow $14 Million for Park Improvements - Published October 25, 2024
A few times this year, the City went into overdrive on social media to “correct the narrative” that this publication has put forward. This was one of those instances as this publication broke the news that city leaders had held preliminary discussions to borrow up to $14 Million for Parks and Recreation Improvements.
No. 8 - City to Nonprofit: Sit Down and Be Quiet - Published October 18, 2024
Throughout the year, the City had worked on creating a new Comprehenisve Plan for the community. Towards the end of the process, the Planning Commission (not known for hearing public comments) held a public hearing. During the public hearing, the Planning Commission decided to cut off comments from a local nonprofit organization.
No. 7 - The City Offers Partial Clarification - Published April 5, 2024
In the spring, when the Troy Historic Preservation Alliance was working hard to secure the IOOF Building the city was giving in the impression that they were on the sidelines supporting the effort. In reality, they were in the backrooms impeding progress at every turn, including hiring a $20,000 lawyer to try to stop the project.
No. 6 - Troy’s Trade Mission to Europe - Published June 15, 2024
Earlier this year, the City of Troy and the Troy Development Council took a business trip to Europe. This publication sat down with Joey Graves of the Troy Development Council to talk about the trip and how these trips help grow the city’s economy.
What Do You Think?
Was there a particular story that we covered that you really liked? Something that really made you think about our community? Our paid subscribers are more than welcome to leave their favorite story in the comment section.
As always, if there is something in our community that you want to bring attention to and want to write a full opinion piece, without the limits of word counts or paywalls, this publication has a policy of publishing all submissions. Just send your ideas and insights to pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com.
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Articles 10 and 7 are my “favorites, though all are outstanding.
Can you research via public records, since I’ve seen no public statement, how much of the $20K allocated,was “spent” for legal fees?