TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Voters in more the two dozen Capital Region cities and towns are deciding who will run their municipalities. Mayor races are on the ballot in four local cities.

One of them is Troy. The collar city will have a new mayor because current mayor Patrick Madden can’t run due to term limits. While we won’t know the outcome of Troy’s mayor race, we do know history will be made. The city will have it’s first ever female mayor. Both candidates running are women.

Nina Nichols is trying to keep a democrat in the mayor’s office. She’s been in local politics as city council member and a Rensselaer County legislator.

One of Nichol’s biggest priorities if elected would be to fully staff the city’s code enforcement department. She also wants to crack down on absentee landlords and make sure rental properties are safe.

“A residential occupancy permit program would make us in compliance with the New York state fire code and say every rental unit in the city of Troy should be inspected at least once every three years,” said Nichols. She adds, “It creates a proactive, intentional, strategic way of looking at our rental units throughout the city of Troy”

Nichols is taking on republican Carmello Mantello in the general election. News10 sat down with Nichols to discuss the issues facing Troy.