John Mootooveren Says “Tighten Our Straps” But Blocks Protections for the People

Councilman John Mootooveren recently told Schenectady that we all need to “tighten our straps economically.” It sounds like shared sacrifice, but when you look at his record, it feels more like sacrifice for some and protection for others.

Mootooveren was one of the loudest voices against Good Cause Eviction, a law that would have given renters basic security. It would not have frozen rents or stopped landlords from making a fair return, but it would have prevented sudden, unjust evictions and rent spikes that push families out of their homes. With Schenectady rents rising faster than wages, defeating that protection left thousands of people vulnerable.

Now the same councilman is positioning himself as the main decider of the city budget. Instead of a process that brings the whole council and the community to the table, residents see one person consolidating control. When one person steers both housing policy and the city’s finances, the balance tips away from ordinary people.

It is hard to hear “tighten your straps” when families are already stretched thin paying higher property taxes, higher utility bills, and higher rent. The city budget should reflect shared responsibility and fairness, not austerity for the many and comfort for the few.

Schenectady needs leadership that treats housing as a right and budgeting as a public responsibility. Our community deserves better than empty slogans while protections and transparency are stripped away.