Allegany County board rejects local law tying pistol-permit fee increase to sheriff-run training

The Allegany County Board of Legislators on July 8 defeated a proposed local law that would have raised fees for pistol permits and authorized the sheriff’s office to offer a county-run pistol-permit training course.

The measure, introduced by the public safety committee as Intro 28326, drew extended public comment before the board met. Ken Burdick, a firearms instructor and owner of Southern Tier Precision, told the board the sheriff’s training plan would create a conflict of interest because the sheriff’s office authorizes and reviews private instructors and handles complaints. “No government agency should be hurting business in Allegany County,” Burdick said, urging legislators to “please vote no in this resolution.”

Two other instructors, Sam Patel and David Dunham, urged the board to preserve the market for private instructors. Patel said a county-run course would limit choice and could disadvantage newer instructors seeking students and information. Dunham, a range safety officer, said many prospective students are nervous and that being trained by law enforcement could amplify stress, and he warned the sheriff-offered course would draw students away from long-established local providers.

Sheriff [name withheld in the record] responded to the criticisms, saying the office has “no desire, nor the intention of getting into the firearms training business.” He told the board the training component was proposed as a fail-safe to avoid gaps if New York State changes instructor requirements, and he described master-instructor qualifications the sheriff’s office could meet. The sheriff also outlined the board’s separate fee question, saying pistol-permit transactions have not had a rate increase in more than 20 years and that some transactions currently lose money for the office.

Legislators debated whether to split the fee increase from the training authorization. Legislator Healy questioned the apparent contradiction of raising fees to cover costs while proposing a new training service that would require staffing and not necessarily break even. Legislator Burdick said he would support a fee increase but not the training portion; Legislator Havey said he would accept a training backstop for future state action only if it were not advertised and the sheriff did not actively compete with private businesses. Several other legislators voiced concerns about government competing with small businesses.

The clerk called the roll. The board recorded 13 no votes and 2 ayes, and Chair Brooke Harris announced, “That resolution is defeated.” The tally ended Intro 28326 without enactment.

County Attorney guidance recorded during the meeting noted that removing the training component and pursuing a separate fee-only local law would require drafting a new local law, holding another public hearing and returning a revised resolution to the board.

The defeated measure leaves in place current fees until the board chooses to pursue a fee-only change through the formal local-law process.