The State of Rensselaer County address
TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin gave his State of the County address and discussed everything from new facilities and infrastructure to lower property taxes and the reopening of the Knickerbacker Arena.
McLaughlin said his kids grew up skating on that ice rink. It closed in 2018. “So, it bothered me that other kids were not getting that opportunity,” said McLaughlin.
The Knickerbacker Arena reopened to the public on Friday, with a $2 million investment from the county.
“The reason that was so expensive was because underneath that ice was destroyed, so we had to take up the entire floor as you saw,” said McLaughlin. “The technology under there is significant.”
John Thorpe also grew up skating there. “This was my first job I started in the mid 90s. I worked here for years as a skate guard and in the concession stand, they taught me how to drive the Zamboni, but I grew up playing hockey for Troy youth,” said Thorpe.
When he found out it reopened he was thrilled. So when his family was back in town this week, he had to take his daughter to skate on the same ice he skated on.
“It’s definitely special. It was really weird walking in here because so much has changed, but it’s also kind of the same. It’s definitely very special,” said Thorpe.
McLaughlin said it’s just one example of how the county has created success. He touted a 40 percent reduction in property taxes over the last seven years. He said that was made possible - in part - by increased sales tax revenue in the county.
“As we rebuilt our infrastructure, our sales tax went up. That’s not necessarily an accident. I think they’re completely connected and correlated because you have to invest. As I’ve said many times, it’s almost like a person. If you don’t have a healthy spine, you probably don’t have a real healthy body. You’re probably hurting in some way,” said McLaughlin.
McLaughlin promised to create success in the future. He said county residents should expect sewage infrastructure replacements, a pickleball court and a new park in Schodack. He said, it hasn’t always been easy but it’s always worth it.
“We’re gonna win so much, you’re gonna get tired of winning,” said McLaughlin.