Saratoga's State Senator McDonald votes against resolution to keep Parks open.

By PAUL POST, The Saratogian

SARATOGA SPRINGS — State parks threatened with closure will stay open this year, including Victoria Pool at Saratoga Spa State Park, Sen. Roy J. McDonald, R-Saratoga, said Tuesday.

Recently, Gov. David Paterson proposed closing dozens of parks across the state as a way to help close a projected $8.2 billion budget deficit.

Three-fourths of the Saratoga-Capital Region’s parks and historic sites have been targeted.

"There is nobody in the Legislature on either side that’s going to cut parks," McDonald said. "They’re not in jeopardy anymore. The parks aren’t closing. These parks and these pools are all going to stay open."

McDonald on Monday voted against a senate resolution that he said added $1.5 billion to Paterson’s proposed executive budget. The measure was not a formal bill and only outlined proposals, for discussion purposes, without indicating how items would be funded, he said.

"There was no accompanying finance plan," McDonald said. "We were only given two hours to look at it. That’s no way to do business. We can’t be a rubber stamp and just roll over."

His ‘no’ vote doesn’t mean he’s against restoring parks funding, McDonald said. He said he needs to see how other projects would be funded before voting ‘yes.’



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