By: Sarah Wright | Troy Times | Published May 19, 2026
TROY — At the State of the City event May 6, officials highlighted progress in Troy.
The event was held this year at Slick City Action Park, an amusement center located at 1820 Crooks Road and owned by Toby Buechner, a Troy Planning Commission member who kicked off the address. The venue features indoor slides and other attractions.
“About a year and a half ago, someone sent me a video and showed me this idea, and I showed it to my wife, and I showed it to some staff, and I showed it to my kids, and showed it to friends, and every one of them said, ‘Holy sugar cookies! You got to build this,’” Buechner said of what later became Slick City. “(They said) this would be great.”
Tara Tomcsik-Husak, the president and CEO of the Troy Chamber of Commerce, introduced Troy Mayor Ethan Baker with a short intro that was styled around the TV show “Modern Family,” followed by Baker appearing via one of the indoor slides.
During his address, Baker focused on the budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year that the council approved May 11. He also spoke on city projects such as improvements to Rochester Road and other streets, the Troy Trail expansions, public safety improvements, enhancements at Sylvan Glen Lake Park, the upcoming inclusive playground at Boulan Park and more.
“This budget is shaped by (the goals of) protecting public health, safety and welfare; maintaining core infrastructure; enhancing quality-of-life offerings; and strengthening communication and meaningful community engagement,” Mayor Baker said.
“At the same time, Troy must navigate ongoing pressure on capital funding, as capital revenues have declined since 1999,” he said. “As a result, investments in roads, facilities and public spaces are carefully prioritized to maximize limited resources. This budget maintains the priorities of City Council through significant investments in what matters most to our community.”
Baker also addressed the failure to pass the city’s previous bond proposal in 2025 and the current efforts to reconsider key areas of the bond, such as a new public library building.
“The bond election certainly brought out some of the best and some of the not-so-best of our community, which was to be expected. And after a whirlwind election, I think that we are in a good place,” Baker said. “The conversations that happened, the involvement of residents — those are all good things — and from an educational standpoint, thousands of residents have a new understanding of capital issues facing our city. The real moving forward from the election is simple: continue listening to our residents and find a way to work with them for solutions.”