Keith A. Hammond is serving his second term on the Rensselaer County Legislature.  First elected in 1996, he represented the eastern towns of the counties.  In 2002 he won a special election to fill an unexpired term to represent District 2 which includes the towns of East Greenbush, North Greenbush and Poestenkill. 

In November 2003 Keith won a seat on the Poestenkill Town Board, and will now be able to serve his constituents in a dual capacity, similar to the former Board of Supervisors. 

In his first term Keith served as Deputy Minority Leader and was an original advocate for removing the sales tax from clothing to help families.  He also has promoted a dedicated revenue account from the sales tax on motor fuel for road repair and maintenance.

Active in his community, Keith served on the Poestenkill Master Plan Committee, the Poestenkill Planning Board, and was Deputy Highway Superintendent. He previously served on the Poestenkill Town Board for four years.  Keith is an active member of the Poestenkill Business Association.

Also interested in regional issues, Keith has served on the Albany-Rensselaer County Agricultural Education Committee, the Agricultural Farmland Protection Board and the Rensselaer County Cornell Cooperative Extension Board of Directors. A graduate of Averill Park High School and SUNY Cobleskill, he owned and operated Hammond’s Farm, a 103 acre farm located in Poestenkill, for over twenty years.

Interested in children in need, Keith has served as past Rensselaer County representative to the Adoption & Foster Parents Association. The father of six children is currently employed by the Averill Park School District Transportation Department.   

As Legislator, Keith Hammond has:

§         Introduced Right to Farm Law to encourage local farming; preserve rural character

§         Called for school dress codes to support schools and parents

§         Encouraged review of intersection of Rtes. 4 & 43 for improvements to pedestrian crosswalks, road markings, speed enforcement, lighting and traffic islands for greater safety

§         Opposed above ground transmission lines from proposed Besicorp project

§         Opposed locating VLT's in OTB teletheaters

§         Voted against new mortgage recording tax

§         Fought  for removal of sales tax on clothing & footwear

§         Called for the repeal of sales tax on gasoline

§         Advocated renovation and use of the old Van Rensselaer Manor for services such as Cooperative Extension and Farm Bureau

§         Supported legislation giving towns and villages their fair share of sales tax revenues collected in the county

§         Urged that gasoline & diesel sales tax go to fund ongoing highway repairs