KINGSTON – Ulster County Executive Michael Hein delivered his annual
follow-up to the 2016 State of the County Address in a Tuesday morning
appearance before the Chamber of Commerce in Kingston.
This year’s session featured an abbreviated version of Hein’s
address, which differed from the original by adding details not included
in the official Feb. 9 speech. Among the extra talking points were remarks
about the Rail Trail controversy; opinions surrounding ongoing sales tax
re-negotiations; and an explanation of why he didn’t run for Congress.
The lengthy dispute between Rail Trail advocates and the Catskill Mountain
Railroad was one of the difficult conversations Hein say helped make Ulster
County better off in the end. “There are bits and pieces of me along
the line, every step of the way,” Hein joked, alluding to the surprising
vote results of his 2015 opponent Terry Bernardo, who made CMRR a top
issue.
Hein expounded upon the Midtown leg of the railroad, which the county
legislature recently voted to become a linear park, leading from the old
railroad to Kingston Plaza.”I firmly believe that rail yard is contaminated,”
Hein said, calling it a social justice matter, ending inner city pollution
and
giving poor people easy foot access to the Uptown supermarket.
To underscore the importance of good urban planning, Hein dropped a zinger,
calling the late Robert Moses a “wild racist.” According to
Hein, the legendary New York City planner deliberately lowered highway
overpasses to prevent mass transit buses from bringing minorities out
to Jones Beach.
Regarding the sales tax re-negotiation, Hein noted that the City of Kingston
has received $8.1 million over the past four years, so far, from the county
safety net takeover, but did not pass that savings along to taxpayers
in the form of property tax relief; instead it went to addition spending.
“That’s a model can’t work, it’s completely unsustainable,”
Hein said.
Noting that tax rates increased 37 percent and spending is up 34 percent
– masked by the safety net windfall, he said, “You can’t
tax your way into a solution. You can’t cut yourself into a solution,
you can’t even spend your way into a solution,” Hein said.
“The only way is to re-invent yourself.”
According to the city’s own numbers, in two years, they will be
out of money, and $3 million in the hole. “Those numbers are the
truth. The revolution dust-up statements I have made are just that. You
have a right to demand more,” Hein said.
Meanwhile, Kingston Mayor Steven Noble said on February 12 that the city
deserves a moratorium on current sales tax sharing for the next five years.
A special city council meeting scheduled for Wednesday night is expected
to back up Noble’s position. February 29 is the deadline for an
agreement between the city and Ulster County.
Asked why he didn’t run for Congress this year, Hein replied that
he was honored by the request, but decided he was too dedicated to his
role of helping Ulster County. “I’m not positive that Washington
is a place where that’s possible with the divisiveness that exists
there.” He also cited family concerns. “This would not allow
me to be the best husband and father I could possibly be.”
Full text of Hein’s Feb. 9, 2016 SOTCA speech:
http://ulstercountyny.gov/sites/default/files/Ulster%20County%20State%20of%20the%20County%202016.pdf
