Schenectady City Council possible appointees mum on squabble


From left, Mootooveren, King, McCarthy, Perazzo and Brucker


This appears to be the issue: the city Democratic committee promised Porterfield, the city’s Weed and Seed coordinator, the spot if McCarthy won. But some council members want their running mate Mootooveren, who lost on election day by less than 50 votes.

Mootooveren wouldn’t comment on it after the meeting. While Porterfield gave this super-brief statement. “They should keep their promises.”

There is an air of annoyance from some that this is being played out publicly. Initially, it appeared a few City Council members were going to meet to talk to Mootooveren at someone’s house Saturday. After a Times Union story, the meeting was held at the public library. A meeting with more than three members would also have to be declared public.

The whole thing is interesting, not because it shows a tiny chink in the otherwise super-strong Schenectady Democratic armor, but because each candidate brings with them their own constituencies. Porterfield would be only the second African-American on the council; Joe Allen is leaving Dec. 31. And Mootooveren would be the first Guyanese-American.

Categories: Schenectady
Lauren Stanforth

5 Responses

  1. All these characters except for King are really depressing. Crack a smile, you won! Oh wait, you gotta do work? Ah, now I get the long faces.

    Any chance you gonna fix the dunkin donuts driveway on state st?

  2. Barbara says:

    That seat should’ve been up before the voters in the election just held. Did Denise Brucker really describe this situation as “the democratic process”? They were playing dirty politics and it blew up in their faces.
    Voters did have the option of supporting a black candidate in the election, I believe, but some must have felt politics were more important at that time.

  3. Poppy says:

    Why is it that someone who lost in the last election (Mr. Mootooveren) should get on the Council through the back door? Don’t the voters count for something in Schenectady? Or do those votes on Election Day only mean something if it benefits the Sch’dy Dems?

  4. Marchiano says:

    This Mootooveren character is aligning himself with the Democrats for something else other than the vacant seat. His motives is yet to be determined. The Democratic party value Mottooveren as an asset opposed to Porterfield because they are banking on bringing more Guyanese to move and live in the City to buy up the 700 vacant homes. Which I very much doubt will ever happen because of the simple fact that the Guyanese are no longer coming up and buying properties like they were in the past. Porterfield has nothing to offer so her chances are doomed. The secrecy of holding a meeting at someone’s house seems very shady. What happened to open government and transparancy? This is a very fine line the Democrats are crossing which group are they going to alienate the blacks or Guyanese? I personally hope someone else other than these two individuals get the seat. This past election has shown that the City’s Democratic machine is breaking down. Next election don’t be surprise to see a Republican Mayor and a split council with the rate the current administration is running the City.

  5. Shumpert says:

    John Mootooveren attends City Council meetings and has never stood up to the podium to express his views for or against the issues. That tells me that he is just another rubber stamp Democrat waiting to get picked. We need a champion for the people like Vince Riggi who’s not afraid to speak his mind and tell the truth that’s why Vince won John’s seat on the council.