Duped at the dump? Albany pols allege hidden fee

Albany Common Council members Dominick Calsolaro and Corey Ellis are staging a press conference on Tuesday to blast the mayor over what they call "a hidden fee" in the city landfill's expansion permit.

Section 34-A of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) document stipulates that Albany must set aside $10 for every ton of trash accepted in order to pay for the state-mandated restoration of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve.

Calsolaro told CBS 6 on Monday that Mayor Jerry Jennings does not want to lose the business of private trash haulers by charging them an extra $10 per ton, and that the mayor intends to collect the difference from city taxpayers over the life of the permit. Private haulers deposit 90 percent of the trash at the landfill, he said.

A Jennings spokesman directed CBS 6 to an attorney representing the city, who said the claim is untrue. Ruth Leistensinder pointed to the non-descript language in the permit as proof, and said the city makes enough money at the landfill to cover the cost of the restoration over the life of the bond - an anticipated 25 to 30 years.

To be fair, Calsolaro has been a vocal critic of the current administration on several issues, and Ellis is running against Jennings in the Democratic mayoral primary.