ALBANY – Governor Andrew Cuomo has vetoed Assemblyman James Skoufis’
bill that would have allowed for county oversight of property annexation
from one municipality to another.
The assemblyman’s measure was aimed at the Village of Kiryas Joel,
which has a petition before it to annex hundreds of acres in the Town
of Monroe into the village.
State law says counties may only get involved with annexations if they
cross county lines.
In Cuomo’s veto message, he said that he vetoed a similar bill last
year because it would “authorize counties to have control over local
annexation petitions that did not impact a county’s boundaries because
it would have directly contravened the constitutional prohibitions on
a county’s authority.”
He said the language of the most current bill “violates the same
constitutional principles.”
Skoufis accused Cuomo of “politically-driven disregard” and
said his argument that the bill is unconstitutional “flies in the
face of reality.” Both Skoufis and the governor are Democrats.
Skoufis pledged to continue his effort to have the bill become law.
A “mad as hell” opponent to Skoufis, Republican Colin Schmitt,
said the veto “is yet another example of state government failing
our communities.
Schmitt said the incumbent has had four years “to protect our communities
from KJ’s uncontrolled and unchecked growth.” He charged that
Skoufis has not delivered “a single tangible accomplishment to protect
our communities.”
