BALLSTON SPA–Republican Frank Rossi Jr. was sworn in as the mayor of the Village of Ballston Spa Monday night, officially replacing Democratic Mayor Christine Fitzpatrick, whom Rossi narrowly defeated in a March 15 special election.
Fitzpatrick, who was deputy mayor at the time of Republican Mayor Larry Woolbright’s unexpected resignation in October, had been serving as mayor since November. Rossi beat Fitzpatrick 553 to 498. His term will run until November 2023.
The transition marks another chapter in the political story in the village, which has seen its local meetings become hostile in recent years–Woolbright attributed his decision to leave to his unproductive relationship with Democratic members on the Board of Trustees.
Even with Rossi’s swearing in as mayor, Democrats retain voting control in the village. The Board of Trustees currently has three sitting Democrats and one Republican in addition to Mayor Rossi–Bernadette VanDeinse-Perez, who also won her seat in March’s special election. At the organizational meeting, Rossi named VanDeinse-Perez his deputy mayor.
In the March special election, VanDeinse-Perez defeated Democrat Kamran Parwana, who last week was tapped by Fitzpatrick to fill the Zoning Board of Appeals seat that VanDeinse-Perez vacated after winning election. That decision angered Republicans, who said the appointment passed up an alternate board member who had been serving since January 2021.
At Monday’s organizational meeting, the shoe was on the other foot, with Democrats on the Board of Trustees questioning several of Rossi’s appointments, including two Planning Board alternate positions and two Ethics Board positions. At the Democrats’ request, the board elected to table those appointments.
Andrew Waite can be reached by [email protected] and at 518-417-9338. Follow him on Twitter @UpstateWaite.
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