All Over Albany

Breslin vetoes Albany County budget, alleged mugger chased by store employee, police investigating gropings at Walmart, longest tenured state trooper retiring

Outgoing Albany County exec Mike Breslin has vetoed the budget approved by the county legislature. Breslin says the budget puts the county's fiscal stability at risk because "by counting on revenue that won't be there." Of the revenue assumptions in in the budget, the chair of the audit and finance committee says: "... when we present something, it's factual, not a guess." Incoming county exec Dan McCoy, who's currently chair of the legislature, has scheduled a meeting of the legislature this week to consider an override of the veto. The budget as passed included an 8 percent tax increase. [TU] [Fox23] [YNN] [WTEN] [Troy Record]

Rensselaer County exec Kathy Jimino says her county budget has taken effect, despite the unanimous objection of the county legislature. [Troy Record]

Schenectady mayor-elect Gary McCarthy on his decision to collect his pension and receive his mayoral salary: "It's a loophole in the pension system, and I'm using it to minimize the city's contribution" [because the city won't have to contribute to the pension system for him]. McCarthy also said Jerry Jennings was doing something similar -- Jennings says he's not. [Daily Gazette] [TU Local Politics]

The members of the new state ethics commission have been named. And, of course, there's some controversy. [NYT] [State of Politics]

An Albany deacon has pleaded not guilty to charges that he exposed himself to two boys and watched porn with them. When the allegations first surfaced this past summer, the man's parents -- who are influential members of the church -- were accused of using their status to keep the man in his role as a deacon. The situation reportedly prompted many members of the congregation to leave, and the church's pastor resigned. [YNN] [TU] [WNYT] [CBS6]

Colonie police say man mugged a shoe store employee outside the Northway Mall (the stripmall that includes Target) yesterday morning (map). A Empire Wine employee chased the alleged mugger through the parking lot after hearing the woman scream. The suspect then reportedly jumped into the occupied cab of a construction truck to hide, and was eventually tracked down by police while allegedly trying hide a deposit in the undercarriage of a vehicle. [YNN] [WTEN] [WNYT] [TU]

Police are investigating the groping of two women -- and the picking up of a baby -- at the East Greenbush Walmart. [WNYT]

The state Board of Regents has floated a plan that would shift more aid to poor school districts. [TU]

Chuck Schumer is pushing for the TSA to add a "passenger advocate" position at each airport to deal with problems at security checkpoints. [YNN]

The Saratoga Hospital-Albany Medical Center urgent care center project in Malta is looking for almost $5 million in tax breaks from the Saratoga IDA. One snag: a leasing arrangement involving Columbia Development. [Daily Gazette] [Saratogian]

Rotterdam town board members are raising questions about expenditures made by outgoing town supervisor Frank Del Gallo for a veterans memorial. [Daily Gazette]

A tractor trailer rollover at Oakwood Ave and Route 142 in Troy backed up traffic for miles yesterday afternoon (map). [Troy Record]

With the colder weather come chimney fires. [CBS6]

A group of soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and their families, will be coming to Saratoga for free or reduced-price "respite" vacations as part of a Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce program. [Saratogian]

Maureen Tuffey -- one of the first four women to become a state trooper and currently the longest tenured member of the State Police -- is retiring this week. [TU]