Saratoga City Center may gain 2 board members

PHOTOGRAPHER: Justin Mason

Citing the marked expansion of the City Center, Saratoga Springs Mayor Joanne Yepsen is spearheading an initiative to increase the authority’s Board of Directors by two.

Yepsen said the center has nearly doubled in size since the board was created 30 years ago and is poised for another spurt of growth with a planned parking complex on the horizon. She said the existing seven-member board has performed well, but the authority should have a larger governing body to cement it as the city’s exclusive convention center.

“It’s important that we show strength, and sometimes strength is in numbers.”

Yepsen said Monday that she’s approached state Sen. Kathy Marchione and state Assemblyman John McDonald about introducing legislation to expand the board sometime during the legislative session, which comes to an end this week. She will seek support from the City Council during their meeting Tuesday.

The measure came as a surprise to Mark Baker, the authority’s president, who is not backing the change. He told members of the city council that the existing board is also comfortable with its size.

“This was a surprise to appear on the agenda,” he said this morning. “There doesn’t seem to be any need or justification for this expansion.”