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Supervisor Sarah Burger was also at the event, and shared that she was excited on two fronts about this advancement—as an elected official and as a business owner on Broadway.

“This is a really exciting opportunity for our city and for Saratoga County in the future,” Burger noted. “It’s a privilege to say a few words in congratulations to your company and to all of you for making this happen. As someone who represents many of our downtown businesses, we’re all looking forward to this.”

The city’s other county supervisor, Sarah Burger, said a survey in January found 348 people experiencing homelessness in Saratoga County.

Shelters of Saratoga will be tasked with building the new shelter and pay the county $1,000 to use the land, Burger said, noting construction is expected to begin this summer. She said it could be ready to open by the fall of 2027.

“It’s a tight construction time frame, I think, but can be done,” Burger said.

Like the year-round shelter, Code Blue shelter’s history in the city has also been embattled. During Tuesday’s meeting, Burger said the shelter is “long overdue.” She recalled the city’s difficult Code Blue history, starting with the December 2013 death of Nancy Pitts, who froze to death as she huddled in a doorway at the Saratoga Springs Senior Center. Burger also listed all of the locations that the Code Blue shelter moved to before opening at its current South Broadway site, where it is expected to spend its last winter.

“Now’s the time. Now’s the opportunity. We’re going to build this beautiful new building, and we host people at Code Blue from all over Saratoga County,” said Saratoga County Supervisor Sarah Burger, who has been instrumental in pushing this development forward.

Saratoga Springs County Supervisor Sarah Burger said addressing homelessness needs to be a joint effort. “I think it’s really important to me because these efforts to address the unhoused population, the homeless population in the city, I mean, this needs to be a collaborative effort between the county, the city, and other area not-for-profits like shelters of Saratoga Rise, etc,” Burger said.

“Saratoga County is proud to be a partner in the collaboration, both on this festival and as a proud sponsor of Belmont Broadway. As an attendee myself, the last two concerts on Broadway were filled with smiling, happy people and an overwhelming police presence, which made people feel very safe,” Saratoga Springs County Supervisor Sarah Burger said.

“We’re very, very grateful for their efforts. Like the city, all county departments will also be available to support this festival and concert. We’ve seen the economic benefit of hosting this historic event, each of the past two years – not just in the city, but with fans and visitors staying in hotels and short-term rentals across the county. I’m really excited to be here today, and I hope you are too, and I hope to see you at Belmont on Broadway.”

Saratoga Springs County Supervisor Sarah Burger delivered a number of updates at the meeting, including a brief one on the County’s Code Blue Shelter project. Burger noted she had a lengthy conversation with the County’s attorney’s office today, and it is anticipated that there will be a vote on both the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) resolution secrets as well as the ground lease between Saratoga County and the Saratoga County Capital Resource Corporation, who will then in turn lease the property to shelters of Saratoga, on April 21 at the next Board of Supervisors meeting.

It is anticipated that Shelters of Saratoga will have “shovels in the ground” by the summer. Anyone who still has public comments they would like to submit can do so in writing to the County Board Clerk via email, publiccomment@saratogacountyny.gov, or by mail addressed to: Clerk of the Board, Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, 40 McMaster Street, Ballston Spa, NY, 12020. Public comments can also be made in person at the meeting.

Saratoga Springs County Supervisor Sarah Burger delivered an update regarding the proposed Code Blue Shelter on the northern corner of Ballston Avenue and Finley Street, which was purchased by the county in 2024. Burger touched on project specifics such as associated parking utility, landscape, and site amenities, as well as total beds, with the capability of housing 118, though only 75 of which will be available for the homeless population at times when the temperature drops below 32 degrees, and the other 43 of which will be utilized in emergency situations.

Burger also shared that at the Feb. 19 meeting of the Board of Supervisors, a resolution declaring the Board of Supervisors as the lead agency for purposes of conducting the Environmental Impact Review under state law was also approved.

Saratoga Springs County Supervisor Sarah Burger also spoke at the State of the City, noting that since being sworn in, she had been appointed to serve on the Public Safety, Economic Development, and Legislative and Government Affairs standing committees of the County Board of Supervisors as well as has been appointed to serve on the board of the Saratoga North country continuum of care — which works to ensure housing and supportive services aimed at the elimination of homelessness in Warren, Washington, Hamilton and Saratoga counties.

Looking ahead, Burger shared the top priority for the county in 2026 is delivering on the mandate for a permanent Code Blue Shelter. While the County has purchased land on Ballston Avenue for this purpose, Burger states that there is still much work to do.

She also noted work should not stop at just the mandate, and instead the County should be “laser focused” on addressing the overall issue of homelessness — stating that it would be “illogical” to spend taxpayer money on the construction/maintenance of a building that is only utilized for part of the year” and instead of looking at a holistic approach for this buildings future.

On the project front, Burger touched on the fact that the Saratoga County Sewer District received the largest grant in the Capital Region last year from the New York Regional Economic Development Council, with the state pitching in to Saratoga County’s sludge fund with a grant of $5 million which will go towards the construction and bonding of a new biosolids digester facility in Mechanicville.

“This is tremendously an important issue for our community,” Saratoga Springs County Supervisor Sarah Burger said. “We’ve hosted a code blue shelter in Saratoga Springs for 12 years now and it is now also a mandate so we have to deliver this it’s not optional and it’s certainly a need county-wide, homelessness is a county issue and it’s certainly not a Saratoga Springs issue.”

One of the two newly sworn-in supervisors, Sarah Burger, expressed what an honor and privilege it was to be elected and highlighted a number of areas she is looking to address during her time at the county. This included making progress on building and solidifying a permanent code blue shelter and real solutions combating homelessness

She also touched on the importance of public safety.

“I think we should remember that the purpose of government is the protection of our natural rights — life, liberty and property,” Burger said. “This is primarily achieved through public safety. We must protect all people. Taxpayers and non-taxpayers, the housed and the unhoused, without regard to any particular demographic, membership or identity.

“Man, woman, black, white, Christian or non-Christian, in this term as your county supervisor, in this year, the year of the horse, as your supervisor, I will be laser-focused on the needs of our people.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Out of all the competitive races in the most recent Saratoga Springs election, the candidate to get the most votes was Sarah Burger, who won one of the two Saratoga Springs County Supervisor seats with a total of 5458 votes, with 4,330 coming from the Democratic line and 1,128 from the One Saratoga Line.

Burger said she was excited and ready to get going.“This campaign was about what’s best for Saratoga Springs; not what’s best for the Democratic Party; not what’s best for the Republican Party,” said Burger, echoing the One Saratoga Party mantra of “City Before Party.” “I’m laser-focused on doing what’s best for the city. I’m excited about getting to work, reaching across the aisle with the other supervisors to get results.” .

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — The Saratoga County chapter of the League of Women Voters recently held a debate for the candidates vying for the two Saratoga Springs County Supervisor seats, featuring George Ehinger (R, One Saratoga), Sarah Burger (D, One Saratoga), and Minita Sanghvi (D, Working Families).

Burger, Ehinger, Sanghvi say political rhetoric needs to be toned down…

Sarah Burger, the one-time chair of the Saratoga Springs Democratic Party, said in an interview and before a group of supporters that her campaign planks include changing the closing time of the county’s bars to 2 a.m. and that working across the aisle with people from other parties is a requirement of the job…

SARATOGA SPRINGS —Attorney Sarah Burger officially launched her candidacy last week to become the third candidate in the two-seat race for city supervisor at the county level. 

The event was held at Saratoga Casino Hotel March 12, and Burger, a Democrat, was introduced by former Saratoga Springs Mayor Joanne Yepsen…

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Sarah Burger officially entered the race for Saratoga Springs County Supervisor, after receiving the endorsement from the Saratoga Springs Democrat Committee. At her recently launched event, Burger shared her excitement and goals for the future…

“Unlike the city of Saratoga Springs, where we have many different boards and volunteer boards and have a very active community, citizens at the county are kind of shut out, I think, from a lot of those processes and are unknown to the average person. So, I intend to appoint my own citizens advisory committee,” said Burger…