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Schenectady council asks state to let city raise birth, death certificate fees amid public pushback
Summary
The Schenectady City Council approved a resolution requesting state legislation to allow higher fees for certified birth and death certificates. Residents and council members raised concerns about impacts on low-income and immigrant families; the mayor said state law, not the city, controls uniform fee authority.
Schenectady — The Schenectady City Council on May 12 approved a resolution requesting the introduction of state legislation that would allow the city to raise fees for certified birth and death records.
The request was placed on the council’s legislative consent agenda and approved by voice vote as part of a package of items the council adopted without recorded opposition.
Supporters of the resolution said the change would let the city set fees locally; opponents at the meeting urged caution. Elie Peper, a resident who spoke during the legislative public comment period, said raising the cost of vital records would harm vulnerable residents and said it risked making access to documentation effectively more…
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