Christopher Tague was elected to the New York State Assembly in April 2018, representing all of Greene and Schoharie counties and parts of Delaware, Albany, Otsego, and Ulster counties. He began his political career as Schoharie Town Supervisor in 2015. Raised in Schoharie, he graduated from Schoharie Central School in 1987, where he was active in sports, the Key Club, Student Council, and Future Farmers of America. He launched his first business, a dairy farm, at 18, growing it from 25 to 75 cows before selling it in 1992. He then joined Cobleskill Stone Products, where he worked his way up over 25 years to become General Manager, overseeing health and safety compliance, environmental standards, and community outreach.
Property Taxes and Cost of Living
• What specific policies would you advocate to balance the need for essential public services with keeping property taxes affordable?
A multi-pronged approach will likely be needed to address these concerns, such as reforming property tax policies to encourage further development in this state. Increased state funding in this instance, for essential public services, would reduce the reliance on property taxes to fund said services, which, while not a perfect compromise, could alleviate the burden on taxpayers slightly.
• How do you plan to address the rising cost of living in your district?
We need more space for housing, that’s just inevitable at this point, especially if we hope to draw more people into the state to support it like we hope to. I think a return to regional autonomy would help in this instance, since so much of my district’s land is currently allocated for services used by New York City exclusively at this time. Taking that land and using it for the people of my district would greatly benefit those in need of housing here.
Affordable Housing
• How do you propose to expand access to affordable housing in your area?
What we need is more developments setting up shop because of business being allowed back in. Part of the problem my district is facing right now is that overburdened businesses operating in largely rural communities can’t keep up with aggressive regulations and a lack of a burgeoning job market. People can’t offer work in an area where it gets more and more expensive to live and operate in. While the question asks about housing programs, I don’t think the solution is to exclusively develop affordable housing complexes. I think there’s more than one answer to this problem, particularly for rural communities.
• What is your stance on rent control or other measures to ensure that housing remains attainable for low- and middle-income families?
Rent control is an issue that often concerns urban centers more than rural communities, so while the issue itself has not been often addressed or proposed in my community, I can say that I’m not outright opposed to it. Housing security continues to be a problem in this state, so while I’d like to ensure such a policy protects the hardworking New Yorkers that do everything they can to make ends meet, I also know the danger that comes from allowing blanket rent control policies to favor at times bad tenants over property owners, and I’m not interested in shifting a power balance so much that landlords that are diligent are punished further for having unreliable and bad tenants.
Public Safety and Policing
• What is your vision for public safety?
I think the greatest disconnect between the public itself and its safety is a lack of
understanding of where the danger is. I know in my district that law enforcement has been diligent and transparent in working with the community to prevent crime from happening, but many people continue to feel unsafe. My goal is not for more of a police state presence in our communities, but a better understanding of the job that law enforcement conducts, and more collaboration between the communities they serve and the men and women in the blue uniform, and I think that goal is reflected in my endorsement by the New York State Police Benevolent Association. We need that trust again, and it will take both sides coming to an understanding to achieve it.
• Bail Reform and Raise the Age are “dinner table” talking points for your constituents. Is this recent legislation working or do you see room for improvement?
The disaster that is bail reform has already proven to be a poor policy decision. Studies show us that despite reducing recidivism in low-risk offenders for incidents like petty theft, high-risk repeat offenses have not stopped because of this policy, which I truly feel is the bigger problem between the two issues. I feel that as the law stands, and in consultation with multiple law enforcement agencies, we can do better, so if an outright repeal is not on the horizon, aggressive adjustment should be considered a priority. As far as Raise the Age is concerned, I don’t argue against the desire to give youth a chance at reform before being tried as an adult in criminal court, but felony-level crimes are going almost entirely unpunished because of this policy, and these records are sealed, leaving courts without proper context should these young people reoffend. Violent crime should never get a pass, it should always be properly addressed, with the only context in age being how responsible the individual is in their own life, just as it is in standard court procedure.
Education and School Funding
• What are your priorities for K-12 education?
New York was recently ranked the 8th best state to get an education in by WalletHub. We should be celebrating that! Because it means that despite the limitations of our public system, despite the less-than-desirable conditions our state’s teachers must work with, and despite the students’ potential numerous struggles when they enter the school, they’ve been working hard to succeed. We have the tools to provide for our kids and set them up for great futures, and we’re on track to continue those investments and programs so that every child has a chance to rise. Continuing the amazing progress our schools have made is my priority for K-12 education, and I’d like to think that after being endorsed by NYSUT for election this year, that educators agree with me. We’re on track to continue building on the foundation laid before us.
• What plans do you have for addressing mental health services and school safety?
As I mentioned, kids sometimes come to school with baggage that we might not notice when we first meet them. And they may not have a home life that can properly address their mental health needs. Offering even a sliver of that relief through schools can be a solution, but it does require investment. School guidance counselors are often left with little resources to begin with, and they’re tasked with the management of the emotional welfare of the entire school in some cases. But creating that safe, supporting environment for kids as they continue to develop their minds, and indeed themselves, is important, which is why consideration of further investment into mental health services should be a priority, absolutely.
Job Creation and Economic Development
• How do you plan to stimulate job creation, particularly in high-growth sectors like technology and green energy?
New York is back to being a desirable center of innovation and development, as we’ve seen through the setup of microchip facilities across central New York. Further high-growth development can take place in this state if we commit to even more business-friendly agendas. NYSERDA has certainly been working hard to support those clean energy jobs, and I’d like the state to consider other, grassroots means of enticing support, potentially by meeting businesses in the middle with regards to regulations.
• What role should local government play in attracting new businesses and supporting small businesses?
Being a former town supervisor of Schoharie myself, I’m familiar with the limitations of local government, and the areas where they can move faster compared to state government. As many towns across this state are now considering, areas where development has been minimal can be converted to industrial zones or new business parks for job creation and business registration, both viable solutions for more rural areas like those that I represent.
Health Care Access
• What initiatives would you support to improve access to quality health care, particularly in underserved areas?
Social care programs continue to be the most viable and effective option for serving underserved communities, and while I would like to work towards a future where people are not as reliant on these social programs, such public investment is critical to so many families statewide that I can’t in good conscience object to them at this time. I’d like to have New York become a state where its people are able to be self-sufficient, but for the meantime, further public investment has been undeniably helpful in ensuring our neighbors don’t suffer.
• How would you address the mental health crisis and ensure that services are accessible and affordable?
I’d argue that my time in government has already spent considerable effort reducing mental health stigmas and offering higher-end services, particularly in rural communities like mine. Access and understanding continue to be the biggest hurdles we’re working to overcome, but concentrated effort should yield favorable results in time.
Transportation and Infrastructure
• How do you plan to address transportation issues, including public transit options, road maintenance, and infrastructure upgrades?
When it comes to transport, the people of my district often rely on personal and private vehicles, but they heavily rely on the infrastructure of roads and bridges they use in their daily lives. I’ve always supported the funding of our state’s highway and road program, CHIPS, in partnership with the efforts of local governments, so continued investment into those programs and projects are worthwhile for long-term infrastructure security.
• What is your stance on building sustainable transportation options, such as bike lanes or electric vehicle infrastructure?
This part of the question seems less tuned to the needs of our communities, but having offerings for a wide range of transportation types is worthwhile, so I wouldn’t necessarily be against offering more bike lanes or EV charging stations to the community, so long as the community is asking for them.
Environmental Concerns
• What actions will you take to combat climate change at the local level?
Climate change at the local level is something I did during my time as a town supervisor. Continually supporting and reinforcing recycling programs and weaning off heavy gas machines when they’re no longer necessary are just two ways I think we can continue to combat climate change.
• How do you plan to promote clean energy projects and ensure environmental justice in communities disproportionately affected by pollution or climate change?
This is an issue we’re actually facing in my district, as a number of plots of land have been overtaken by green energy farms that serve New York City, but not the neighborhood or community in which these farms are actually based. If New York is to continue taking land and offering it for green energy solutions, I’d want to ensure that that same energy is offered to the community in which the farm is housed.
Opioid Crisis and Addiction Services
• What policies would you implement to combat the opioid crisis?
Providing services and promoting programs through local law enforcement has been found to be effective when combating and informing the community about the dangers of opioid addiction. Access to naloxone, a drug that can reverse an opioid overdose, and reducing the stigma against opioid addiction can also help people understand the problem better and combat it for the future.
• How would you improve access to addiction treatment and support services for affected individuals and their families?
Like I’ve mentioned previously, access is one of the biggest hurdles, so if we’re going to seriously fight the opioid problem statewide, we need to ensure that each region has tools, facilities and manpower to combat the problem proportional to their region’s needs. A re-evaluation of the state’s current approach and an evaluation of each region of New York’s needs would help with that.
Equity and Social Justice
• How do you plan to promote equity and inclusion?
My policy has always been if you’re good at what you do, I don’t want to stand in the way of it, whether it’s digital marketing or farming. The AFL-CIO agrees with me, which is why they’ve endorsed me for election this year as well. New York has taken great strides in protecting people in their workplaces from discrimination and harassment, and should more proposals come through to challenge current discriminatory practices, I can’t envision that I would stand in the way of them.
• What specific policies would you advocate for to address systemic inequalities in areas such as housing, education, and criminal justice?
This has never been an area of specific policy focus for me, but I will say that I do support the working New Yorker, and life can be hard enough in this state without factoring in discriminatory practices that many in this state still face. I am committed to ensuring that New York lets New Yorkers play fair in whatever dilemma or goal they find themselves in.
