3 takeaways from City Council swearing-in ceremony

Robert Bell, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
·3 min read

The Rochester City Council had the biennial swearing-in ceremony and organizational meeting Tuesday. What do you need to know?

Councilmembers elected in November officially took the oath of office to start their four-year terms:

  • Michael Patterson (Northeast District)

  • LaShay Harris (South District)

  • Mary Lupien (East District)

  • Bridget Monroe (Northwest District)

Here are three takeaways from the ceremony:

Who are the president and VP of the Rochester City Council?

On Tuesday night, Miguel Meléndez Jr. secured re-appointment as City Council president, while Harris was designated vice president.

"I am humbled and honored to continue this role," Meléndez said about the position he's held since 2022. "Neighborhood development and building on the great assets of our city is crtitcal. I believe there are opportunities to create more affordable housing units and encourage additional housing rehab."

Meléndez said the city's land bank corporation can be a critical component of a housing strategy.

The land bank's objective is to acquire, possess, and get rid of vacant real estate — properties that are either abandoned or underutilized — to restore them to productive use.

Harris assumed the role of council vice president, succeeding Lupien. She emphasized that one of her primary objectives is to bolster ethics in local government by incorporating more robust language and enforcement tools.

Does a lack of collaboration lead to bad policy?

Before being sworn in as council vice president, councilmember Stanley Martin inquired about LaShay Harris's plans for leveraging her new role to foster unity within the council.

"Relationships are key; if we want the full body to work together, that comes down to communication and relationships," Harris said in response to Martin. "These are the things that our constituents don't see; it's very important to government."

Martin countered that improved relationships do not directly tackle other internal challenges within the council, such as procedural matters and the necessity for information sharing.

Martin, Kim Smith and Lupien, representing the council's more progressive faction, frequently disagree with their fellow council members regarding various issues and policies.

In reaction to appeals for increased collaboration, Patterson said that Martin's method of engaging with the council "has precluded and, quite frankly, soured your colleagues."

"3 or 4 of us might not have the answer that you all agree with, but we can contribute something," councilmember Lupien said. "To exclude people because you don't personally like us or like how we interact with you is robbing this city of the collaboration that is good for creating policy."

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Meléndez wants city residents prepared for the next wave of jobs

During his acceptance speech, Meléndez focused on jobs.

In October, it was revealed that Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse may receive billions in federal funding, as the upstate New York region emerged as one of the 31 selections nationwide to be designated as a national Tech Hub.

Formally recognized as the New York Semiconductor Manufacturing and Research Technology Innovation-Corridor Consortium, or NY SMART I-Corridor, this "semiconductor super-highway" along the New York State Thruway aims to propel the region into a semiconductor manufacturing hub.

The Hub hopes to attract companies, support start-ups, and train workers, bringing jobs to Upstate New York.

Meléndez wants city residents to be first in line for those opportunities.

"How do we create the pipeline from our communities to the opportunities that will become available," he said. "How do we collectively work to ensure our Rochester residents are prepared for the next wave of Rochester Jobs?"

How-To Topic: Want to speak at a Rochester City Council meeting? Here's how

Contact Robert Bell at: rlbell@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @byrobbell & Instagram: @byrobbell. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester City Council swearing-in ceremony: Three takeways