Size of legislature works well in Albany

A Jan. 27 letter, “Bloated Albany County Legislature needs trim,” recommended vastly reducing the size of the Albany County Legislature but offered no justification other than it “is far bigger than it needs to be and suffers from inefficiency as a result” and “bigger counties across the state function perfectly well with smaller bodies.” I disagree.

The legislature is not inefficient. Most months, the legislature meets once and most meetings run less than three hours; a few are much briefer. The legislature is inexpensive to operate. Albany County’s annual budget is now more than $700 million. The legislature costs less than $4 million with combined salaries of all 39 legislators still less than $1 million.

Having a larger legislature provides many benefits to Albany County residents: a much more diverse membership racially and economically, smaller districts, lower-cost campaigns, more legislators to serve on standing and ad hoc committees, a smarter legislature with a much greater level of expertise, and, because each legislator represents fewer residents, she or he can hopefully know them and their concerns and better represent them.

The legislature is not “bloated.” Several years ago, the legislature chose wisely to not reduce its size in part because those who proposed the reduction did not make a good case for doing so. tom ellis Albany