Earlier today, Albany Common Councilman Corey Ellis, Citizen Action’s endorsed candidate for Mayor, demanded action on one of the City’s most prevalent problems: vacant buildings and the resulting loss of tax revenue.

Surrounded by supporters at 16 Lexington Avenue in Albany, on a block full of vacant buildings, Ellis layed out a plan of action to begin the process of recovery. His steps include comprehensive code enforcement, including increased fines for noncompliant properties; effective incentives for owners to rehabilitate vacant buildings; adequate tax assessments to ensure speculators do not buy vacant properties with minimal tax penalty.

At the same time this morning, the 16-year incumbent Mayor, who Ellis is challenging, held a press conference to announce a new program to paint images of windows on the boards in Albany’s vacacnt buildings.

To this, Ellis responded, “It is fitting that as we speak, Mayor Jennings is announcing a program to paint vacant buildings, because for sixteen years he has tried to cover up his mistakes with ribbon cuttings and superficial, short-term fixes to the problems we face. Well, I have a message for the Mayor:  a coat of paint isn’t going to fix the problem you have ignored for sixteen years. And a coat of paint certainly won’t fool the residents of these neighborhoods and the taxpayers across this city.”

Four local news channels covered the event, along with the Times Union, and WAMC radio. Here’s the coverage:

WAMC – Albany Mayoral Candidates Tackle Dilapidated Buildings

Fox 23 – Albany Rolls Out New Revitalization Project

Here is a video of the event: