Stop Herkimer County's use of eminent domain for the jail.

The property on the northern portion of NYS Route 28 (often referred to as the old P&C site) is a highly valued commercial property that has been under a dark cloud for a decade due to the interest by the Herkimer County Legislature to place a jail on that property. Because of that dark cloud of uncertainty, several businesses have expressed interest in purchasing or leasing the property from the owner but fear that the investment will be undermined by the actions of the Herkimer County Legislature.

The Herkimer County Legislature is NOW attempting to TAKE that property from the owner through the use of “eminent domain” because the owner wants to keep its use as a commercial property and does NOT want to sell it to the Herkimer County Legislature.

A public hearing that was held on October 11, 2017 at the Herkimer County Legislature chambers where “the public” from the Village of Herkimer and surrounding municipalities SPOKE OUT AGAINST the proposed action of the Legislature – stating that the use of eminent domain to TAKE the P&C property would NOT BENEFIT THE PUBLIC. It was also stated that there is a number of alternative properties, such as the state approved land on Route 5S whose owner ATTENDED the meeting and requested that the Legislature begin discussions of acquiring the land for placement of the jail on that property.

Eminent domain is defined as “the right of a government or its agent to expropriate private property for public use, with payment of compensation.” However the justification of the use of eminent domain is most often qualified as those actions necessary to “benefit the public”.