This weekend on In Focus, we’re speaking with the incoming mayor and council president in the city of Troy. Mayor-elect Carmella Mantello sat down with JoDee Kenney to talk about her historic victory as the first woman elected to the city’s top office. A Republican in a city where Democrats enjoy a three-to-one voter registration advantage, Mantello said her roots in Troy and years of service to the people who call the Collar City home gave her the momentum to overcome this apparent political hurdle. The mayor-elect said she’s ready to hit the ground running when she’s sworn in on Jan. 1 and will work to increase services across the city while maintaining a fiscally responsible budget.

Mantello said her priorities include addressing quality of life issues throughout Troy, which she sees as a way to combat crime as well. She said she will work with the city’s police chief to apply new methods, including officers on beat patrols in many neighborhoods, building relationships in the community. Mantello also talked about firefighter staffing and response time concerns. The Troy Fire Department also provides ambulance services in the city, and Mantello said the department will deploy new technology to help maintain this vital lifeline. And, as the mother of an adult with special needs, Mantello said she will work to grow the number of accessible parks, playgrounds and other public spaces in Troy.

You can watch the full interview with Carmella Mantello in the video player above. And be sure to tune in for a look inside the biggest issues impacting upstate New York on In Focus with JoDee Kenney every Sunday on Spectrum News 1.