THE ISSUE:
A thoughtful proposal to update and streamline the Albany County charter is on the table.
THE STAKES:
Politics and individuals' self interest threaten to reverse some of its strong points.
With strong bipartisan support, Albany County voters in 1993 approved charter revisions that streamlined government and strengthened the authority of the county executive.
That vote — which happened to take place during the term of the only Republican to serve as Albany County executive — was politically remarkable. The revisions passed by comfortable margins in the cities of Albany and Cohoes, where Democrats reign, as well in the most populous towns, then run by Republicans.
Now, another round of sensible charter revisions is being considered, but this time many of the good ideas are in danger of being hijacked by a County Legislature committee that seems bent on turning back the clock to the days of unaccountability and political bossism.
Some of the worst of the changes under discussion would diminish the county executive's powers and maintain what is now a bloated legislature at its current size of 39 seats.
In January, after a yearlong evaluation of the current document, the 11-member Albany County Charter Review Commission presented its draft of a new charter. It included downsizing the legislature to 25 seats and maintaining the authority of the executive. But now, the legislature's "Special Charter Review Committee" has set about tinkering with the commission's work in no small way.
One significant change would remove the county executive's authority to fire department heads. Another would make it easier to override the executive's vetoes. If these changes go through, it would be as if 40 bosses were running the county. This is not better, more professional government.
The current county executive, Daniel McCoy, says the changes would make him the most limited of all the county executives in New York. His role would be reduced to that of a county manager, accountable to the legislature rather than the electorate.
Frustrating as it may be at times, the tension between the legislature and county executives suggests the balance of power is working — with legislators representing their constituents and the executive taking the broad view.
It's certainly the legislature's prerogative to review and fine-tune the charter commission proposal. But to dismantle the commission's work and use the review for a power grab is a corruption of the process. Lawmakers should stop trying to redesign the government voters approved in 1993. Their task is to produce a clearer, cleaned up charter that reflects the commission's recommendations — smaller legislature and all — and submit a ballot initiative to the Board of Elections by the Sept. 30 deadline.
Just as it takes courage to put the interests of the community ahead of one's personal and political agenda, it is craven to do otherwise. We expect legislators to show some courage, and let the voters decide on the charter commission's plan.