District area: District 12 is made up of parts of the Towns of Union and Dickinson, and the Villages of Johnson City and Port Dickinson.
Term: Two-year term
Each candidate was asked to limit answers to 100 to 150 words. WSKG cut answers at the 150 mark. If you would like more details about a candidate’s answer to a question, their contact information and/or website is provided in this Voter Guide.
Candidate: Louis Augostini
Party affiliation: Republican, Conservative
WSKG Q&A
The county has hired consultants to develop a strategy for shifting from using hotels to a shelter for homeless residents. Shelters are a temporary remedy. Should the county legislature be working to move people from temporary to permanent housing? If yes, what should the legislature do? If no, why not?
The long-term objective should be to move people from temporary shelter into safe and stable housing. The County can contribute to that effort, but it does not control every component of the housing system. State and federal governments provide much of the funding and establish many of the requirements governing social services, while local municipalities control important land-use and zoning decisions. The Legislature can use its budget and legislative authority to make sure County resources are directed appropriately and can encourage cooperation among municipalities, nonprofits and housing providers. A successful approach should recognize these different responsibilities. The County should provide leadership and coordination where appropriate while respecting the authority of other levels of government.
Besides homelessness, county residents are also coping with a broader housing crisis. Rents have risen significantly and according to New York state’s Homes and Community Renewal, home prices in the state have risen 50-80 percent in the past 11 years. Should more Broome County municipalities become “pro housing communities” to be eligible for state funding meant to address the housing shortage?
There may be advantages for municipalities in becoming Pro-Housing Communities, particularly where doing so can make them eligible for state resources. But the decision belongs primarily to each municipality. New York law places zoning, comprehensive planning and land-use regulation largely in the hands of towns, villages and cities. Broome County does not have general authority over those matters. Local officials should therefore determine whether certification fits their community’s housing needs and infrastructure capacity. The County can assist with regional coordination and provide information or technical support when appropriate. Ultimately, though, decisions regarding local development should remain with the communities that have been given that authority under state law.
New York counties are set to absorb a total of $168 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administrative costs a year due to federal funding changes to the program.. Should the state play a greater role in supporting this program at the county level?
The additional SNAP administrative costs facing counties should be viewed in the context of how the program is structured. The federal government establishes SNAP, New York State provides part of the regulatory and funding framework, and local social-services districts handle required administration. When federal funding is reduced, counties can experience increased costs without having control over the underlying policy. Rather than treating this solely as a County budget issue, the state and federal governments should address how the program is funded. Broome County should meet its obligations and continue advocating for adequate resources, but it cannot change the federal program or New York’s cost-allocation formula on its own.
A recent state regulatory audit raised serious concerns about the fiscal management of the county’s Industrial Development Agency (IDA). The legislature appoints the IDA board but has no authority over the agency board or leadership. Do you think that should change?
The state audit should receive careful attention, and transparency is essential. However, the Broome IDA is not a County department. It is an independent public benefit corporation established under New York State law. The County Legislature’s authority to appoint board members does not mean the Legislature controls the agency’s day-to-day operations, employees or officers. Those powers are established by the governing state law. The Authorities Budget Office provides an additional state-level oversight mechanism. If there are deficiencies, they should be addressed through the appropriate legal and regulatory channels. If policymakers believe the current structure is insufficient, that is a broader state-law question rather than simply a matter of County administrative control.
What, if anything, do you think the county could do to make the legislature’s work more accessible and transparent to the public? Do you think all of the legislature’s meetings (including committees) should be recorded and made public?
The Legislature should continue looking for ways to make its work more accessible, but it is important to recognize that a number of transparency measures already exist. Sessions are open to the public, livestreamed and supported by online agendas, resolutions and budget information. Recordings are maintained, and audio can be requested through FOIL. Committee and budget meetings are also open and streamed. Maintaining permanent online video archives has presented technical challenges, including website architecture, storage capacity and older equipment. Those challenges should not be an excuse for inaction, and we should continue examining improvements. At the same time, transparency should be balanced with practical considerations about technology and available resources.
Much of New York is considered a childcare desert. Should the county legislature be taking action to address access to care for Broome County families?
Childcare availability is an important community issue, particularly for families trying to remain in the workforce. The County can be part of the solution, but it does not control the entire childcare system. State government establishes much of the regulatory and funding framework, while local social-services agencies administer certain assistance programs. Broome County is participating in a state initiative intended to improve childcare access for young children and is partnering with the state on a new facility at Oakdale Commons that is expected to add about 200 spots. We should continue supporting efforts within our authority while also recognizing that state policy will remain a major factor in expanding childcare availability.
The state’s new Local Cops, Local Crime Act includes a ban on local law enforcement agencies having certain official partnerships with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)? Do you agree with this? Why or why not?
I believe County government should operate within the authority granted to it by law. That means County departments should cooperate with state and federal law
enforcement when legally required or when the law permits that cooperation. Criminal investigations and valid court orders are examples where coordination may be appropriate or necessary. As a legislator, my responsibility is to make sure County government follows the law rather than attempting to establish a separate legal standard. Whatever policies are adopted should remain consistent with state and federal requirements and the authority granted to County agencies.
A recent report from the Office of the New York State Comptroller found a rise in the number of municipalities across the state that have proposed to override the state’s property tax cap. With counties facing funding cuts and rising costs, would you be open to overriding the tax cap in Broome County?
Rising costs are a real challenge for local governments, but Broome County has been able to respond without increasing property taxes. The proposed 2027 budget would represent the eighth consecutive year of property-tax reductions. The County has also distributed a record amount of sales-tax revenue to municipalities to help offset their rising costs. Our approach has emphasized bipartisan cooperation, cost control, financial stability and debt reduction. I believe those principles should continue to guide the budget process rather than assuming that exceeding the tax cap is necessary whenever financial pressures arise.
The legislature regularly gets reports from the county executive and they are available to the public. Do you think the legislature should get regular reports from some other departments as well? (e.g. Department of Social Services, sheriff’s office, district attorney, etc.) If so, why and how often should they get reports? If not, why not?
Regular departmental reporting is already a significant part of the Legislature’s work. County departments provide annual reports, many of which are available online, and department heads routinely attend Legislative Committee meetings to discuss programs, initiatives and operational matters. The annual budget process provides another opportunity for detailed review because each department must present its current-year operations and financial plan for the upcoming year. The Legislature has also taken steps through the Daylight Legislation to make financial information more accessible. These processes allow for ongoing oversight while avoiding unnecessary duplication of reports or administrative requirements.
Some municipalities have citizen boards for better law enforcement accountability. They do not have any disciplinary authority but they can receive and monitor citizen complaints and review internal investigations. Do you think Broome County should have some form of citizen law enforcement board? Why or why not?
There are already state and local processes available for residents who want to make a complaint or raise a concern about law enforcement. The New York State Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Complaint Portal provides one avenue, and local agencies also accept and investigate complaints through their established procedures. That does not mean accountability should ever be taken for granted, but it does mean that any proposed County review board should have a clearly identified purpose. Before creating another layer of government, we should determine whether the existing systems are sufficient and what additional authority or function a new board would actually provide.
Candidate: Chris Moore
Party affiliation: Democratic, Working Families
WSKG Q&A
Chris Moore did not respond to WSKG's Voter Guide questionnaire.