To the Editor,
How many times have we heard the phrase “government is sticking its nose where it doesn’t belong” said in a political context? Oftentimes, it’s a cheap slogan. In Albany County, however, it’s metaphorically true.
Over the last several months and years, our County government has gotten more involved in an area it has no business being in: real estate.
The most obvious example is Albany’s Central Warehouse. I’ve been outspoken in the last year-and-a-half about the need to demolish this eyesore, and while I won’t reiterate my arguments, it’s fair to say Central Warehouse was on the leading edge of bad real estate deals in Albany County. Thankfully, many County leaders have admitted we need to move forward with demolition to cut our losses.
But the ill-fated Central Warehouse saga makes the County’s pursuit of real estate deals like the South End grocery store all the more mind-boggling.
For those unfamiliar: in 2021, Albany County awarded a $200,000 loan to a non-profit organization to turn the old McDonald’s in Albany’s South End into a grocery store. Despite the backing of multiple banks, government leaders and other high-profile individuals, it took less than a year for the South End grocery store to fail. Albany County is still owed $199,782 on the $200,000 loan.
As with Central Warehouse, I assumed it was time for County decision-makers to admit we needed to move on and cut our losses. The Legislature proved me wrong in a party-line vote approving the $450,000 purchase of the property, bailing out big banks and questionable developers in the process. The worst part of this textbook government waste is local officials openly admit they have no idea what to do with the 1.5 acre site. Keep in mind, funding for this comes from the federally-approved American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Albany County received just shy of $60 million in ARPA funding while the City of Albany received $85 million. This is a city issue and should be funded using their ARPA funds, not ours.
Unfortunately, the bad history of real estate deals extends beyond what we own as a County. On the same night the grocery store purchase was approved, the County Legislature voted to hand out $300,000 to another questionable non-profit in Albany. Despite rigorous debate and multiple amendments to the bill, it’s still unclear what the six-figure taxpayer-funded sum is delivering for County residents. We do know the County will be allowed to use one of the organization’s rooms for five hours a month. In other words, taxpayers will be spending $5,000 for every hour this room is used, or $25,000 a month.
A silver lining to all of these bad deals is some residents are finally waking up and paying more attention to their local government. At the same meeting we spent $450,000 on a grocery store and $300,000 on a single room, the Legislature in a bipartisan vote defeated an anti-homeowner bill that would’ve cost taxpayers another six figures. And thanks to public outcry, another six-figure proposal to publicly fund the relocation of a private drug rehab facility from downtown Albany to Washington Avenue Extension in the Pine Bush was also stalled. It’s small progress, but it’s a start.
I believe it’s going to take much more engagement for residents to start getting the government we all deserve. Albany County residents work hard to support their families, and they pay a good amount in taxes. When their elected representatives reach across the aisle, and work together in a collective voice, we can achieve a government that is accountable to taxpayers, and the communities we all serve.
Frank Mauriello
Minority Leader, Albany County Legislature, District 27 (Colonie)
