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What Does a County Legislator Do?

Albany County’s core mission is to provide services and programs to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of Albany County residents through the passage of local laws and resolutions. The programs and services we provide serve at-risk children, families, seniors and veterans.

 

The Albany County Legislature is the policy making body for the County and serves as the checks and balances to the County Executive.


In the County Legislature Ray has accomplished many things...

Sound Financial     Management

As a member of Audit and Finance, he held the line on spending that reduced the executive’s budget to provide a tax cut to county residents. This being the sixth straight budget the legislature brought under the State mandated tax cap without cutting services or programs.

 

Introduced legislation deferring property tax payments for Albany County residents called to active military duty.

 

As a member of Audit and Finance, Nursing Home and Elder Care Committees, was a member of the core group of legislators that prevented efforts to close or privatize the Albany County Nursing Home and established policies and a management team which has improved care and greatly reduced the facilities financial strain on county.

 

Enacted county tax breaks for qualified first-time homebuyers.

 

Sponsored support for state approval for an increase in New York's minimum wage.

 

Sponsored a Local Law requiring the Comptroller’s office and the department of Budget to redirect the county’s cash deposits to local financial institutions.

 

Established a special legislative commission to evaluate possible savings in shared municipal services

Secured Homeland Security grants to give police, firefighters and medical personnel the communications technology they need to respond effectively to terrorist threats and day-to-day emergencies.

Children

& Familes

Establishment of an integrated domestic violence court in Albany.

 

Supported the ban of nicotine and tobacco sales in pharmacies.

 

Joined the multi-plaintiff lawsuit against drug manufacturers to recover damages to county taxpayers from abuse of opioid pharmaceuticals.

 

Sponsored the Youth Diversion Activities Program providing recreational opportunities and educational programs for county youth.

 

Sponsored the Legislature’s establishment of the Albany County Land Bank, one of the first in the state to facilitate the process of acquiring vacant and abandoned property and placing it back on tax rolls reducing blight across our neighborhoods. To date, the ACLB has sold more than 300 properties across the county.

 

Authorized agreements with the Albany City School District on the Safe Schools Healthy Students Gran and the Juvenile Justice Mobile Response Team.

 

Established new requirements that restaurants and food service establishments publicly post inspection reports.

 

Sponsored the agreements between the FBI, County Sheriff and police agencies on the Capital District Safe Streets Task Force County property tax exemption.

 

Established the Albany County Registry for Animal Abuses, a first in the country to protect animals from abuse.

 

Sponsored the Local Law that set a standard of care and set regulations on pet sellers.

 

Supported the creating on the Immigration Assistance Office.

 

Sponsored the MOU between Albany County’s CVSVC SUNY Albany and the US Department of Justice on Violence against Women Campus Grant to reduce violent crimes against women.

 

Expanded animal protection laws which limit time canines may be kept in hot or cold vehicles.

 

Ended the harmful practice of conversion therapy for minors in Albany County. Conversion therapy is a harmful practice that uses rejection, shame and psychological abuse aimed at changing sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.

 

Prohibited the sale of cosmetic products containing microbeads in Albany County.

 

Sponsored the partnership with the Albany City School District to provide multi-disciplinary evaluation services for pre-school children with special needs.

 

Reviewed and moved over 7000 authorizations and agreements to expand services and programs for at-risk children, crime victims, seniors, families, struggling communities, the environment and our law enforcement of Albany County.

 

Was one of two legislators that joined with The Legal Project at the Albany County Correctional Facility, meeting with and addressing the needs of ICE detainees.

 

Preserved the Crime Victim and Sexual Violence Center through budget cuts by incorporating the department within the charter and established policy that the Albany County Crime Victims and Sexual Violence Center current service level be maintained without reduction.

 

Seniors

& the Disabled

As a member of Audit and Finance, Nursing Home and Elder Care Committees, was a member of the core group of legislators that prevented efforts to close or privatize the Albany County Nursing Home and established policies and a management team which has improved care and greatly reduced the facilities financial strain on county.

 

Increased the income eligibility limits for seniors and disabled persons to qualify for county property tax exemptions.

 

Expanded in-home services for the elderly program so seniors could stay in the homes longer including home delivered meals, transportation, in home visits and adult day care services.

 

Sponsored the Albany County Nursing Home renovation project reaffirming commitment to long-term care for seniors in Albany County by approving $83 million in improvements at the County’s nursing home. The project is currently underway and is expected to be completed in 2020.

 

Lobbied the NYSDOH for the ACNG CON and their support of a new Nursing Home.

 

Worked with the Albany County Department of Health towards accreditation.

Veterans

& Active Military

Sponsored the Soldier On project designated for the Ann Lee Home.


Eliminated the 10-year limitation on tax exemptions for cold war era veterans.


Restored all county privileges to veterans who were discharged from the military for their LGBT status under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Law.


Introduced legislation deferring property tax payments for Albany County residents called to active military duty.


The Environment

Introduced and sponsored legislation with colleagues to establish green initiatives and benchmarks to reduce the carbon footprint of county facilities.


Established Local Laws prohibiting hydro fracking in Albany County and the use and or disposal of water or waste associated with gas extraction in Albany County.


Established the county waste diversion and recycling and energy sustainability policy.


Sponsored Local Laws that created policies to protect infants and young children through the ban of BPA and other toxic chemicals in toys and drinking containers and additionally prohibiting the sale of drop side cribs in Albany County.


Sponsored the Local Law prohibiting blasting near Albany County wells and drinking water sources.


Sponsored the agreement with the Albany County Sewer District and Saratoga County of Anaerobic Digestor saving the county over $20M over 20 years, reducing incineration of tons of digestible material and reducing water and swear rates for residents of Albany.


Regulated the use of polystyrene foam disposable service ware from food establishments.


Prohibited the sale of cosmetic products containing microbeads in Albany County, a leading contaminant in the Hudson River.

Efficient

County Government

Called for the investigation into the county contract with MVP Healthcare plan for county retirees.

 

Sponsored the partnership with Mildred Elley School to provide education training and certification for Albany County Nursing Home nurses.

 

Sponsored interoperable communications project that allowed all local municipalities to communicate through radio system.

 

Sponsored resolutions prohibiting Albany County government from discriminating against employees based on criminal record or conviction.

 

Modernized the county legislature through voting software that promotes transparency, remote document access and a public and searchable database

of voting records.

 

Co-sponsored the Local Law calling for an independent commission to redistricting to remove politics from reapportionment.

 

Introduced legislation requiring the Albany County Board of Elections to use paper ballots and optical scanners and prevent the use of fraudulent electronic voting boxes in Albany County elections.

 

Joined colleagues to request the Albany County Sheriff to review enhanced 911 infrastructure across the county.

 

Amended the Affirmative Action policy to strengthen the county’s commitment to eliminating discrimination in the workplace.

 

Sponsored the Local Law which prohibited employers from requiring job applicants provide salary information to help address wage gap between men and women.

 

Established the county policy that mandated residency requirements for county employees.

 

Adopted the whistleblower employee agent protection policy for Albany County employees and agents.

 

Requested a Code of Laws be established for Local Laws of Albany County which was adopted and currently being codified by the County Clerk.

 

Co-sponsored the Local Law which established a new code of ethics and financial disclosure laws for officials and employees of Albany County Government.

 

Required the county to broadcast all full meetings of the County Legislature on the internet.

 

Required certain county boards to conduct meetings during weekday evening hours and to abide by certain reporting requirements.

 

Required contractors on county construction projects of $50,000 or more to provide apprenticeship training programs.

 

Requiring Electronic reporting of transactions of precious metal exchange and secondhand dealers.

 

So-sponsored the Local Law requiring electronic retail and grocery item pricing.

 

Established a policy which prohibited legislators from serving on boards authorities and commissions if they served as lobbyist or relative to any executive officer.

 

Member of the reform coalition behind the bipartisan LEAD policy agenda for 2019 that focuses on initiatives for working class families, economic development and environmental protection, transparent and open government.