To the Editor:

I am writing to urge my friends and neighbors, regardless of political party, to support Mike Mackey and Herb Reilly for re-election to the Albany County Legislature.  Both have been tireless and incredibly effective advocates for the people they represent and it would be a real blow to the town of New Scotland were either of them to lose. 

For example, when other town and county leaders said we were powerless to do anything about the proposed Kinder Morgan gas pipeline, Mike went to work and authored (and Herb co-sponsored) the Drinking Water Protection Law, which will require the pipeline company to pay for testing of wells, both before and after blasting, and makes them responsible for any problems they cause.

Because of this, the company will no longer be able to avoid responsibility when its blasting ruins a person’s well, as it did mine and many others 30 years ago.  This law is the first of its kind in New York State and is now serving as a model for other counties to adopt, including Rensselaer and Schoharie. 

Mike and Herb have been very pro-active in representing us, from obtaining county grants for the Clarksville Historical Association and Voorheesville Public Library to identifying a state grant opportunity for sidewalks in Clarksville.  That application is currently pending — keep your fingers crossed!

Mike and Herb were also instrumental in opening the Albany County Rail Trail and in obtaining new management and restructuring of the county nursing home.  As a result, the cost to taxpayers of running the nursing home has gone from $12,000,000 a year to $4,000,000, with break-even just around the corner.  This is the main reason our county property tax rate has gone down about 1 percent in each of the last two years.

It is amazing to me how much Mike and Herb have been able to accomplish in a single term and, as I am about to start as supervisor in New Scotland, I can’t stress how important it is for us to have them as our representatives in the Albany County Legislature. 

Douglas LaGrange

New Scotland

Editor’s note: Douglas LaGrange, currently a New Scotland Town Board member, is running unopposed for supervisor.