County exec candidate targets nepotism
McLaughlin proposes ethics law amendment to stop officials from hiring their relatives
TROY, N.Y. » Rensselaer County Executive candidate Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin believes that there has been too much corruption going on within the county and he said that he plans to stop that if elected in November.
McLaughlin’s proposed amendment to the County Ethics Law would prohibit elected officials from hiring direct relatives to county employment. The anti-nepotism law would end the pervasive practice of hiring family members of connected politicians in Rensselaer County.
The amendment, which would not prevent family members from procuring jobs through the lawful Civil Service route, will be offered to the County Legislature within the first thirty days of McLaughlin taking office.
“I am running to stop politics as usual in Rensselaer County and this measure will send a clear message to the political class that I mean business,” said McLaughlin, RSchaghticoke. “The current County Executive and my opponent have allowed this practice to continue for too long, putting taxpayers on the hook for cushy jobs with great pay and benefits for connected family members. Under my leadership, this practice will stop on ‘Day One’ because County residents deserve better.”
However, Deputy County Executive Chris Meyer noted Tuesday afternoon, that the county has had a local ethics law in effect since 1989. Meyer’s was immediately endorsed for the position by Rensselaer County Executive Kathleen Jimino shortly after she announced that she would not seek re-election this November,
“Rather than shoot from the lip, I would hope that county
candidates for office, particularly County Executive, would at least do a little research, before seeking a sensational headline,” stated Meyer. “If he had, he would have found that the County’s Ethics Board was created when the County enacted its ethics local law in 1989, 28 years ago, and addresses all complaints brought before it for consideration ...additionally, the local law requires that annual disclosures of assets be made by all officials and prevents the County from doing any business with the family members of those officials... We take county government openness and transparency seriously, and will continue to strive to do so.”
McLaughlin is also proposing the amendment to the County Ethics Law in the midst of the Republican Rensselaer County Legislature Majority group voting to remove political operative and majority spokesman, Rich Crist, from his position last week for apparently supporting McLaughlin over Meyer.
“One thing that I’m going to do, that this county lacks, is I’m going to have an ethics officer that decisions will be run through to make sure that everybody is doing the right thing,” said McLaughlin. “We’re either going to let this corrupt machine continue or the people of Rensselaer County are going to rise up and say this is enough and they want new leadership.”