Local lawmakers want to establish a task force to determine how the revenue generated from cannabis sales tax in Albany County should be spent.
The current Albany County budget projects $200,000 in sales tax revenue for cannabis, a number expected to increase year over year.
Albany County Legislators Sam Fein and Beroro Efekoro are co-sponsoring a measure that would create a Cannabis Tax Revenue Task Force, dedicated to ensuring that communities hit hardest by the Rockefeller Drug Laws receive resources.
Efekoro, a Democrat from the 7th district, says the task force will consist of a diverse group of individuals with expertise in a range of fields, including the cannabis industry, public health, social justice, and economic development, with a focus on equity and fairness.
"The goal is to have representation from communities and the industry, along with public officials who are representative of the neighborhoods that were impacted by the war on drugs," Efekoro said. "So that when the revenue comes from the cannabis sales industry, those revenues are put towards equity, towards the neighborhoods, and distributed equally or evenly in a fair and equitable manner, throughout Albany County."
Fellow-Democrat Fein, representing the 6th district, says the legislation will be formally introduced this month, with an eye on launching the task force as soon as possible.
"You know, we're still figuring out exactly what the parameters are," Fein said. "But, you know, I can envision something like, between six months and a year. We want to make sure you know, that it's that staffed because there is some urgency, but at the same time, we want to make sure there's enough time for them to have a robust, a robust process. So you know, we're gonna make a determination based on that."
Efekoro says the timing is critical. "We will be moving this forward as soon as possible. As you can see, and as you already know, there is a lot of gun violence in Albany County, there is a lot of public safety issues in Albany County and across the United States as a whole. Now, we want to see that some of these resources are put towards youth programs and housing and gun prevention initiatives that will help Albany County to move forward and overcome public safety issues," Efekoro said.
Efekoro notes the task force will gather feedback from community members and stakeholders to make informed recommendations on how the revenue generated from cannabis sales tax should be spent.
"We have gotten a lot of support from the people that we have spoken with," said Efekoro.
Joshua Mirsky co-owns Stage One Dispensary in neighboring Rensselaer County, which opened its doors last July. He thinks Efekoro and Fein are on the right track. "Using the sales tax revenue wisely is important. And I think taking that and, and trying to help even the playing field and and create a more equitable and fair society is is is admirable," Mirsky said.
Also supportive: former Democratic Columbia County Legislator William Hughes.
"I actually tried to prod Columbia County to do the same thing a few months ago, because it's important," Hughes said. "You know, they passed, they put in the MRTA, how the monies are to be distributed to counties and towns and things of that nature. But when those monies come into a town, you want to make sure that that money actually gets used for people who were harmed by the war on drugs. And if you haven't prepared for that, or you really haven't set up the structure to distribute those monies, when they do come in, you know, they could easily get mixed up in the general budget, or some other things, or just not get used for the purposes that that they were intended to be used."
Hughes, a resident of Hudson, has applied for three cannabis licenses.
Back in Albany County, Republican Mark Grimm of the 28th district, a member of the legislature's finance committee, opposes the measure.
"I think it's a challenge to the budget process. The whole point of the budget process is to carefully review all the requests, and then set your priorities by your votes in committee and then on the floor. And this is, 'no we're going to bypass that and create a dedicated fund.' Now, there are dedicated funds that exist, but I think in this circumstance, I think it's appropriate to give everyone an equal chance at government money, because there's a lot of needs out there that need to be met," said Grimm.
County Legislature Chair Joanne Cunningham says the task force is an important issue to discuss. "Being legislators Fein and Efekoro put this out there as an initiative that the county should focus on, is welcome. And I look forward to rolling up our sleeves and talking more with the county exec and legislature and getting, you know, all the ideas together and formulating good public policy around it," Cunningham said.
Fein and Efekoro say they are committed to ensuring that the creation of the task force is a collaborative and inclusive process.
