Dutchess: Race Begins for DA Job
William Grady, the Dutchess County district attorney, told a prosecutor who is seeking the Democratic line to succeed him that if he got the party endorsement he would have to resign.
The comment by Grady, who is not running for an 11th term, was caught on an audio recording. He made the remark to Anthony Parisi, an assistant district attorney in his office, according to the Daily Freeman. Larry Glasser, a senior assistant district attorney in Putnam County, also wants the Democratic endorsement.
Matthew Weishaupt, the chief assistant district attorney, is the only candidate seeking the Republican line. He has been endorsed by Grady.
Grady told the Daily Freeman that he immediately had second thoughts about his comment to Parisi and told him so. “He asked if that meant I was doing a 180-degree reversal and I said, ‘Yes.’ ”
The DA said he distributed a memo in January outlining the rules that the staff will need to follow if the race comes down to Weishaupt and Parisi. Both parties were slated to make their endorsements on Thursday (Feb. 23).
Saugerties: Trustees Adopt Parking Regulations
Trustees in Saugerties earlier this month adopted regulations that will require new residential buildings in the business district to have three parking spaces for every two housing units — although there isn’t anywhere left for new construction.
According to the Daily Freeman, the change came after residents protested an application last year to allow a nine-unit apartment building to have three parking spaces instead of four.
The Ulster County Planning Board recommended that the village consider waivers, “potentially in combination with a payment-in-lieu-of-parking,” to fund additional municipal parking.
The code enforcement officer noted that the change only affected residential projects. “On the commercial side, we don’t have requirements for parking in the business district,” he said.
Westchester: County Gets $344K for Bioscience
Westchester County will receive $344,000 in federal funding to counter economic losses from the closure of the Indian Point nuclear power plant.
According to The Journal News, the money will be used to attract workers to the county’s biosciences industry. The county has identified 17,600 open positions.
Meanwhile, the newspaper reported, Theresa Knickerbocker, the mayor of Buchanan, which lost half its tax revenue when Indian Point closed, is lobbying federal lawmakers to support the STRANDED (Sensible, Timely Relief for America’s Nuclear Districts’ Economic Development) Act, which would help communities stuck with spent nuclear fuel.
Albany: Hochul Outlines Mid-Hudson Proposals
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday (Feb. 21) highlighted proposals in her 2024 budget that will send funds to the Mid-Hudson Region, including $3.6 billion in school aid, $337 million to reduce gun violence, $250 million in housing infrastructure and $240 million in transportation capital projects, including $51 million for bridge repairs.
The governor’s proposed budget also includes $60 million for Bear Mountain State Park, $57 million for addiction services and $45 million for the expansion of upstate semiconductor manufacturing.
The same day, Hochul announced that the Village of Sleepy Hollow and the Town of Cornwall will each receive $4.5 million in funding as the Mid-Hudson Region winners of NY Forward, which provides funds for smaller communities to revitalize their downtowns. In her 2024 budget, Hochul proposes spending another $100 million on the NY Forward program.
