Albany County Executive Dan McCoy delivered his 12th State of the County Address Thursday in Slingerlands, focusing his speech on the high-tech industry. "We're going to be more remote than we ever heard," McCoy said. "We learned a lot through COVID How we can operate, what I need to operate and what I really don't need to operate. So it's been a great learning curve."
Speaking at Plug Power at the Vista Technology Campus, McCoy summarized his administration’s accomplishments over the past year, including overcoming pandemic-related issues and re-imagining the county workforce.
McCoy says the county is making investments in renewable energy initiatives, including the first geothermal-heated county building.
Plug Power has built a reputation as a global leader in hydrogen fuel cell technology. McCoy giving his address in the newly-built $100 million manufacturing facility was a nod to the more than 1,600 new green jobs the company created. Plug Power Co-Founder and Chairman George McNamee:
“There are a lot of people historically who've had a sense of inferiority about Albany and the Albany area," said McNamee. "So I would just say there are people who look at the world as it is, with all its flaws, and say why? At Plug, we dreamed things that have never been and say why not?”
McCoy, a Democrat running for a fourth term, says the county has received $1.6 million in new opioid settlement funds that will be used to help keep prescription drugs out of kids’ hands and educate parents on how to dispose of drugs safely. He adds the county is prepared to weather any financial storm that may emerge.
“Everything that Albany County does would not be possible without strong finances," coy said. "Fiscal responsibility is imperative to the success of government... We have we have built our reserves to record levels, we continue to implement fiscal strategies that preserve and bolster our financial health. We do all this at the same time as lowering our tax rate. Over the years, we have effectively lowered our tax rate by nearly 20%.”
McCoy added the county currently enjoys a $90 million dollar surplus. He says the county has invested in infrastructure upgrades, creation of strategic shovel-ready sites for future development and more.
McCoy showed highlights from his entire, including acquiring the city of Albany's troubled Central Warehouse.
Narrator: “Albany County took ownership of the building and 2021 the county along with its state and local partners has pledged assistance to finally make this redevelopment of reality. Current plans for the derelict warehouse include storefronts and retail on the first floor, apartments on the upper floors and a rooftop bar and restaurant providing gorgeous views of the Adirondacks and Catskill Mountains.”
McCoy: “We've talked about Tobin’s First Prize and Central Warehouse being the biggest eyesores in the Capital District. But in Albany County, well, they're both taken care of now.”
McCoy says while economists are predicting a downturn and rough fiscal times ahead, the county is turning its attention toward American Rescue Plan Act money.
“The first round of ARPA funding was used to replenish lost revenue from the pandemic, and I would like to thank the legislature on both sides of the aisle for supporting this strategy," McCoy said. "But now as we move forward to investment in a second round of ARPA, our key goal is to allocate funds to provide support for our community members in organizations that have been impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic, while at the same time making calculated decisions that will help stimulate economic growth.”
McCoy announced the application process for ARPA funding is opening in April. He noted his office's involvement in developing a mental health education curriculum in schools, pointing to recent suicides among teenagers.
“The suicide rate throughout the U.S. have continued to soar," McCoy said. "This is a tragedy and we need to do more. We must invest in mental health curriculum within our schools. And here in Albany County over the academic school year, we have two Rockefeller fellows that are working with school districts on deployment of implementation of curriculum, fostering programs within schools, which will provide our youth with tools and coping mechanisms, as well as support systems. Recognizing the need for attention to one's mental health, as well as physical health at an early age is the start to a healthier community. These investments must be made to end bullying, remove the stigma for mental health services and save children's lives. Last year, we helped 296 young people at our children's mental health clinic down on south Pearl Street in Albany.”
Watch the complete State of the CountyHERE.