Hearing on proposal to license electricians draws one speaker

A public hearing on a proposed local law that would require electricians to be licensed to work in Ulster County drew very little interest from county residents.

Marlborough resident Mike Dovich was the only speaker during the hearing Tuesday before the Ulster County Legislature.

He urged lawmakers to reject the proposal to license electricians, saying that, because municipalities already have building inspectors, the law would add a “redundant layer of government.” He also said the law could raise the cost of housing in the area because electricians would have to pay an annual licensing fee, a cost they would most likely pass on to consumers.

The law, proposed by Minority Leader Hector Rodriguez, would require all electricians working in Ulster County to become licensed by the county and would permit only licensed electricians to perform electrical work.

As proposed, licenses would be issued by a sevenmember board appointed by the county executive, and people applying for a license would be required to pass a written test. To qualify to take the exam, all applicants must have at least seven years of experience or meet other educational criteria.

The proposed local law would grandfather those electricians who can prove they have been doing business in the county for at least 11 years before the adoption of the law to be issued a license without an exam.

During a recent meeting of the Legislature’s Laws and Rules Committee, legislators debated both the merits of the proposed law and the proposed cost of licenses.

The proposed law calls for a $500 annual licensing fee for Ulster County residents and higher fees for those outside the county and state. Rodriguez, DNew Paltz, said he would be willing to reduce the fee to one more comparable to some of the fees charged by surrounding counties.

Currently, Green, Orange and Sullivan counties require electricians performing work within those counties to be licensed.

The Dutchess County Legislature adopted a licensing law in 2009, but repealed it the following year without it ever being enacted.

The proposal will now go back to the Ulster County Legislature’s Laws and Rules Committee for further discussion.