Migrant Crisis: Local officials push for a 'common-sense' bill

by Jana DeCamilla & Ashley Dager
Fri, July 28th 2023, 11:09 AM EDT

Albany, NY (WRGB) —

Despite a ‘thumbs down’ from the Albany County Legislative Majority, the Albany County Republican and Conservative Conference this week advanced a 'common-sense' proposal pushing for transparency and fiscal planning on the arrival of hundreds of migrants from New York City.

"Getting data to help us plan to protect both the migrants," said Albany County Legislator (R-C, Colonie) Paul Burgdorf "and our taxpayers is the right thing to do."

The bill, which passed through committee meetings with ‘negative recommendations’ by the Democratic Legislative Majority, is set to be voted on by the Full Legislature in August.

"We can't produce the numbers that our programs can not calculate," said (D) Albany County Legislative District 3 Audit and Finance Chair Wanda Willingham "In specificity our programs are not designed to differentiate between types, backgrounds, or statuses of people."

County Legislator Burgdorf, Deputy Minority Leader and Member of the Audit and Finance Committee also shared a release about the proposed bill.

For the past two months, a growing migrant crisis has unfolded in Albany County and the Capital Region. We’ve witnessed chaos. Local laws and Executive orders ignored. We’ve even seen the callous displacement of impoverished American citizens. This week, my Republican and Conservative colleagues in the Albany County Legislature said ‘enough is enough.’ Now is not the time to bury our heads in the sand. We were elected to be leaders for our communities, and protect taxpayer dollars. Every County Legislator needs to understand what the financial impacts of this crisis will be on County taxpayers. We have an obligation to put aside the politics and prepare our County as best as we can.

The proposed bill, introduced last month by Legislator Burgdorf, would require the County to track the fiscal impact of the resettled migrants within Albany County.

As New York City continues sending migrants to the County, the eventual effect on County taxpayers when New York City stops paying will be substantial – especially as it pertains to social services and future County Budgets, Burgdorf worries.

Following the displacement of local residents at the Super 8 Hotel, some of whom were on social services, local municipalities took action to prohibit hotels from entering into contracts to house migrants signing an emergency order.

Earlier this week, it was reported that a hotel in Colonie now has at least 50 migrant children, which will create significant financial impacts on Colonie school districts entering the new academic year in September.

There are now more than 500 New York City-exported migrants in Albany County.

50 of them being children staying at the SureStay Plus by Best Western in Colonie.

Following New York City’s recently adopted policy to limit their stays in the city shelter system, that number is expected to significantly grow.

We cannot ignore reality or pretend this crisis doesn’t exist. Transparency, fiscal responsibility and accountability to taxpayers should all be non-partisan issues. All 39 Legislators should have access to all the data as we craft our County budgets in the coming months and years. While I am deeply disappointed at this needless partisan divide over my proposal, I will continue to fight for these principles as long as I am a County Legislator.

NY Senator (R-Glenville) Jim Tedisco also introduced similar legislation that 'would empower local governments and help prevent New York City from hustling migrants off to towns' such as Rotterdam and Colonie without communication or permission from local governments.

"What this mayor is doing right now is a total slap in the face," said Senator Tedisco "and total lack of transparency for those governing bodies in those areas of upstate New York."



Senator Jim Tedisco
@JamesTedisco
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Tedisco to Intro New “Migrant Home Rule Transfer Transparency Act”
Legislation would empower local governments and help prevent New York City from hustling migrants off to towns such as Rotterdam and Colonie without communicating with them first and getting their permission







10:00 AM · Jul 27, 2023

On Thursday, Tedisco announced the new legislation introducing, the “Migrant Home Rule Transfer Transparency Act” to stop New York City from transporting migrants to Upstate communities without notification and getting their permission to ensure these municipalities are willing and able to take on the burden of hosting these immigrants.

On July 18th, the Super 8 Motel in Rotterdam informed occupants that they were required to leave with no advanced notification. Several of these motel guests receive benefits from the Department of Social Services which had an agreement with the Motel to house the families. As a result of this displacement, many of these occupants have nowhere to go.

"I have deep compassion for these individuals," said Senator Tedisco "That's why I'm putting forth this bill because what is happening to them as I mentioned they're using them as pawns on a chess board they are kicking the can down the road without regards to them or the communities they're sending them into."

Tedisco’s legislation, says that no municipality shall transfer migrants to another municipality in New York State without first getting a home rule resolution passed by that town/city and county accepting the migrants or rejecting the proposal.

If the bill passed, New York City would also have 30 days to notify another town, city, village, and/or county of their intention of transferring migrants to them. If the receiving municipality does not pass a resolution accepting the migrants, they will have to look elsewhere for one that does.

Tedisco’s bill also includes penalties

"The teeth are a penalty of $1,000 for every individual you bring in for every day you stay there," said Senator Tedisco "if a municipality and their county decide they can't accept them and they reject your proposal."

Tedisco suggested that "it’s unconscionable to displace one group of vulnerable citizens that needs housing and services with any other without a proper plan in place and with no communication."

...I’m introducing the ‘Migrant Home Rule Transfer Transparency Act’ to empower local governments and help prevent New York City from shuffling off migrants to Upstate municipalities without talking with them first and getting their permission to do so. Whether a community wants to be a sanctuary for migrants or not, New York City should show our Upstate municipalities the respect to check-in with them to see if they have the bandwidth and financial wherewithal to accept these individuals into their already over-burdened social services safety-net. What New York City has done does not solve the problem, it exacerbates it.

https://cbs6albany.com/news/local/mi...mon-sense-bill