Electrician licensing vote stalls on support worries
By Anthony Farmer Poughkeepsie Journal Friday, April 8, 2005
The move to license electricians working in Dutchess County may be losing steam.
A planned vote on the proposed law by the Dutchess County Legislature's Government Services and Administration Committee Thursday was halted at the last minute after sponsors realized they likely didn't have the votes needed to get it through.
Sponsors plan to bring it back next month for a vote.
The proposal is intended to protect consumers from poor workmanship, ensuring electrical contractors working in the county are qualified. But some are concerned the law will limit consumer choices.
The proposed law has the support of a number of independent electrical contractors in the county and a group of unionized electricians.
Jimmy Bodrato, business representative for the local International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union, said they will try to convince some committee members to change their minds before May's meeting. He's confident a majority of the full 25-member Legislature favors the plan.
''One more month is not going to hurt," Bodrato said. ''All we want is the whole group to vote on it.''
State approval needed
If the county does approve the plan, the state would still have to approve it before it could take effect.
In Dutchess, only the cities of Poughkeepsie and Beacon require electrical contractors to be licensed.
Several minor changes have been made to the law in the past month, but it would basically require that all electricians in the county would have to be licensed, or work for a licensed electrician.
The proposal would also require:
- A nine-member electrical licensing board would be appointed to oversee implementation and enforcement of the law. The plan originally called for a seven-member board.
- A $350 annual licensing fee, down from the original proposed $500 fee.
Legislator William McCabe, D-Union Vale, said there appeared to be some indecision on the part of a couple of committee members, so he pulled the measure from consideration to avoid defeat. Some aspects of the proposal are still being fine-tuned, he said.
''We hope to have a fair law and effective law,'' McCabe said.
Anthony Farmer can be reached at apfarmer@pough keepsiejournal.com
ON THE WEB
To read a copy of a proposed law to license electricians in Dutchess County, visit the Legislature's Web site at www.dutchessny.gov/CountyGov/Departments/Legislature/CLindex.htm, and click on the link for ''proposed legislation.''
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