In his second “State of the County” tour, Albany County Executive Dan McCoy told a small group of Colonie residents that he wants the community to speak up to their local government.
“We really need input from you. That’s why I continued to do this. Are we going in the right direction? If not, let us know,” McCoy said. “Please call your legislators, or contact my office and let us know.”
McCoy stopped by at the Colonie Town Board meeting Thursday, May 23, for the second year running to give an in-person update on the direction the county has been heading since he took office last year. He championed partnerships and consolidations, and stressed a decision must be made on the county-run nursing home to help save the county money.
During a short question and answer session after his speech, McCoy also addressed a resident’s question about Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to bring in new businesses to SUNY campuses by letting the operate tax free. The executive said he thinks it’s the right approach.
“It’s an interesting approach. I think it was 1817, Gov. Clinton … was going to build the Eerie Canal … they built the canal (but) they thought he was the craziest governor for doing it, and he turned out to be right,” McCoy said. “I think it’s a bold approach. That’s why I bring up the Eerie Canal because it was bold approach and everyone wanted to throw him out of the office.”
McCoy focused largely on local issues, though, and began his speech by telling both the Town Board and the few residents at the meeting on how the county is making positive steps as the area emerges from the recession.
“We have to change with the times and do things differently,” he said.
Consolidating the law department helped save the county more than $400,000 in the first couple of months of his administration, McCoy said.
“Though it won’t help my fundraising capability, it’s good for the taxpayers,” McCoy said, laughing. “And that’s what makes sense.”
McCoy also brought up community colleges, and said Albany County pays about $11 million in chargebacks for local students to go to school. He said the state is supposed to be paying “their fair share” for the community college, but it isn’t.
“It makes it difficult. And there’s only been a couple of options. We can pass that bill down to the Town of Colonie and different cities and towns and villages, which would throw your budget through a loop, or we could do a regional approach,” McCoy said.
McCoy mentioned how the county has partnered with Schenectady County Community College and soon, the county offices at 112 State Street will be filled with “about 1,000 kids” on the second floor taking classes. The county also partnered with CDTA, where any student going from SCCC to the Albany offices gets a free bus pass, McCoy said.
McCoy specifically thanked Supervisor Paula Mahan and the Town of Colonie for working with him on the “Solider On” project, which will help homeless veterans find homes and schools. He said this sort of program is the first in New York state.
“It is about partnership. And working with the people we represent here in Colonie,” he said. “Things are looking better. We are doing things differently.”
Mahan thanked McCoy for speaking. She added McCoy meets with her and the other town supervisors to discuss ways for other partnerships and make Albany County better.
“You give people a flavor of what’s going on,” Mahan said. “We are putting out heads together. It is all about taking a look at things and what can we do to help each other. Things are going in a positive direction.”
While partnerships and consolidation have been drumbeat issues for McCoy since day one, the issue of the nursing home has been front and center in recent months. McCoy pressed the issue during his Colonie visit and supported his plan to lease the home to private firm Upstate Services Group. The 10-year lease would save the county $60-80 million, McCoy said.
“I don’t know about you, but there’s a lot of different things we can do with $60-80 million,” McCoy said. “The legislature and I are going back and forth on it, trying to find a happy medium on what to do. It’s tough.”
County taxes have risen sharply in recent years. McCoy said the county’s 43 unfunded mandates have been difficult to deal with.
“We have 43 programs that we have no say over … (but we) have to pay for it,” he said. “Your Town Board here probably comes up with a lot of great ideas, but then they have to figure out how to pay for it. And that’s the most challenging thing in government.”