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SCHENECTADY-- A former General Electric worker, a business owner, a paralegal and a self-proclaimed "unofficial ombudsman" for the people from three political backgrounds were announced as City Council candidates of the Alliance Party led by mayoral hopeful Roger Hull.

"We are people who have strong views but agree on the basic tenets of the Alliance Party," said Hull Tuesday moments before he introduced the quartet to a gathering in the City Hall rotunda. "This is truly an attempt to change politics as usual and an attempt to reach across party lines.

Council candidates Jacquie Hurd, 70, and Vince Riggi, 65, are lifelong city residents who grew up on the same street in the Bellevue neighborhood and are political independents. Hurd is co-founder of the Bellevue Preservation Association and serves on the Schenectady Board of Zoning Appeals. Riggi wants to be an official ombudsman and believes one-party dominance in municipal government is a bad idea.

"There is a lot of energy on this ticket and it's fresh and new," said Riggi, adding that development downtown around Proctors needs to extend into the neighborhoods.

It was a theme underscored by another candidate, Madrea Chaires, 27.

"I think I can offer an younger perspective on issues that plague neighborhoods," said Chaires, a Democrat who lives in Hamilton Hill. She is the niece of Police Chief Mark Chaires.

Rounding out the Alliance slate is Republican Phil Tiberio, 54, who owns Eastern Office Supply in Schenectady and lives in the GE Plot where Hull also resides. Tiberio aims to make the Electric City more business friendly.

Hull said they plan to now do some grass-roots organizing and reach out to the different parts of the city to get people to spread their message and ultimately vote for the Alliance Party. Besides neighborhood revitalization, Hull's group advocates freezing the mayor's pay for five years, budget transparency and accountability, government capping of taxes and shared services where possible. Hull would get a boost if he were to be endorsed by the GOP.

Once Mayor Brian U. Stratton leaves for a state job next month, City Council President Gary McCarthy will handle some of the mayoral responsibilities on a part-time basis. If McCarthy decides to seek a full term, he would be in showdown with Hull in November


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