KINGSTON – For the first time since the county executive form of government was implemented in Ulster County almost a decade ago, the county’s only executive was overridden by the county legislature.
Michael Hein’s October veto of a measure establishing a limit of
three four-year terms for county legislators, executive and comptroller,
and referring it to public referendum, cited, among other concerns, “dark
money” a reference that concerned a few legislators, including former
Conservative Joseph Maloney who changed his enrollment to Democrat.
“One was dark money or fear mongering. There is some not-for-profit libertarian group out there that apparently likes term limits and apparently that group, in our executive’s mind and in his veto message, may do mailers and may push people out to vote that don’t agree with him.”
Maloney said the veto amounted to “one man” telling over 200,000 Ulster County residents that’s one issue that won’t be up to them.
Democrat Kathy Nolan objected to the “one man” reference.
“I don’t understand the history that talks about one man, one person I would say, but neither one is accurate,” Nolan said. “There were people, both men and women and perhaps others who came and spoke against this.”
Democrat David Donaldson opposed term limits and the override, saying voters already can impost term limits at the ballot box every two years, for legislators.
Some Republicans said the bigger issue was letting the voters have the final decision via referendum.
Legislature Chairman Kenneth Ronk said for him, it was a change of attitude.
“I didn’t believe in term limits until I got to the legislature and then you sort of see what happens and you see that people can get into routine,” Ronk said.
The override passed with the minimum two-thirds vote of 16 legislators for, five opposed.
