Troy

Republican Steve McLaughlin was sworn in as Rensselaer County executive at the county courthouse Monday, promising to put the same energy that fueled the battle for his new position into working for county residents.

“I fought hard to get to this office,” McLaughlin said. “I want you to know I will fight even harder for Rensselaer County.”

McLauglin won the county executive seat in a tight race against Democrat Andrea Smyth, in which McLaughlin’s character came into question after a recording surfaced in which he had a vulgar conversation with an Assembly aide.

His new post has an annual salary of $121,300.

McLaughlin, a 53-year-old Troy resident, said he is looking forward to having a clean slate in 2018, following the controversies in 2017.

“Anytime you have a new year you have new resolutions and new opportunities,” he said.

The courthouse was packed Monday as oaths of office were also taken by county legislators, Troy City Council members and others. Among those in the crowd were current and former state, local and congressional officials, includingU.S. Rep. John Faso, R-Kinderhook, and former Congressman John Sweeney.

Among his priorities for the county, McLaughlin talked about developing the Hudson River waterfront in the Schodack area around routes 9 and 20, and expanding broadband services to areas that are still without adequate internet access.

The former state Assemblyman said his seven years in the state Legislature would be a benefit in working with the state because he has institutional knowledge of how things get done at the Capitol.

“What I don’t have is institutional knowledge here in the county,” McLaughlin said, “but I’ll gain it rapidly.”

He would not comment on the exchanges recorded between him and an aide, the nature of which remain a topic of dispute. The Assembly’s Ethics and Guidance Committee is reviewing a complaint about his treatment of the staff member, Jennifer Polaro.

McLaughlin was secretly recorded last summer berating Polaro with vulgar language in a heated exchange that also may have violated the Assembly's sexual harassment policy. The staff member also recorded a conversation with McLaughlin in which she accused him of roughing her up during an argument at his house.

McLaughlin later produced his own recording in which the staff member acknowledged she had accused him of physical abuse to "bait" him. Then last week, Polaro stated on Twitter that she retracted her allegation only after being pressured to do so by McLaughlin, who at the time was campaigning in the Republican primary for the county executive post.

“I’m not really going to address it,” McLauglin said Monday when asked about the situation. “It doesn’t remain a controversy. It’s been addressed. The person recanted it, and now has recanted the recantation. … It’s at this point getting to be a little bit ridiculous.”

McLaughlin added that he received a conciliatory Christmas card from Polaro.

McLaughlin succeeds Republican Kathleen Jimino, who led the county for 16 years and did not seek a fifth four-term. An event to honor Jimino and other women in elected office will be held by the Rensselaer County Republican Committee on Thursday at Parti Events & Banquet Hall.