Albany County needs a better plan for arriving migrants

Any serious event, ranging from the trivial to the widereaching, requires significant planning. As the mother of two boys, I lost track long ago of the number of parties I’ve hosted for birthdays, graduations and other achievements. Any good lawmaker, just as much as any good party planner, will tell you the key to executing things successfully can come down to the little details.

Sticking with the partyplanner analogy: Are there enough tables and chairs? Food and refreshments? What about the number of RSVPS? While these questions may seem trivial, this example presents a direct contrast to the government planning — or lack thereof — surrounding the migrant crisis in Albany County.

In the past several months, New York City has sent close to 700 migrants to our communities. We’re told they speak 13 languages other than English, including Faroese and Wolof. We’re told the gender split is 80-20 male to female, without being told how many are with families and how many are single.

We’re told that 40 school-age children are being enrolled in the North Colonie school district. And while there are nearly 500 total migrants in the sanctuary city of Albany, there are inexplicably zero schoolage children in that group — putting the entire onus on Colonie school taxpayers.

There’s not much else we know. I hope that illustrates just how unprepared our county is for this migrating humanitarian emergency created by the federal government.

Earlier this year, my Republican colleagues and I gave our Democratic colleagues across the aisle a chance to help make a plan by tracking how the new arrivals affected social services spending. They declined that chance and voted down our legislation in a straight partyline vote.

The Biden administration itself just told Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams that no more relief is coming until New York gets its act together on “structural and operational” issues addressing the crisis. That includes the critical “information collection” and planning that my Republican colleagues and I have

Albany County should stop accepting more migrants from New York City until and unless there is a plan.

been trying to get for months.

Recently, I joined my Republican colleagues in calling on the Albany County executive to stop accepting more migrants from New York City until and unless there is a plan. I think that’s a reasonable request, and so do a strong majority of my fellow New Yorkers, according to a recent Siena College poll.

On a personal level, think again to the last serious undertaking you made, be it a party, a test or a trip, and how much planning went into it. Whatever it was, the larger it was, the more planning was required — right? Would you ever forget to take an accurate head count, or to study, or to fill your car with gas?

Responsible individuals always ensure the big questions in our lives have big answers. These are the same questions the county should be asking when it comes to planning for this crisis.

This is not anti-immigrant. This is anti-chaos.

Jennifer Whalen is Albany County legislator for District 21, which covers parts of Loudonville and Latham.