KINGSTON – Ulster County Executive Michael Hein took his veto pen in hand for the first time, Wednesday, and rejected a county legislative resolution pertaining to creation of a county charter revision commission. Based on a two page opinion from County Attorney Beatrice Havranek, Hein rejected the measure based on a technicality.

“Unfortunately what the resolution left out was a critical component that allows the Charter Revision Committee to go directly to the public in the form of a referendum and because of that, it is legally flawed and I had no choice but to veto,” he said.

Havranek said that while it may have been unintentional, the resolution, as written, “could erode the authority of the Ulster County Charter” by referencing only a portion of the document as it relates to the charter commission.

Hein said that the legal flaw “ignores the power vested in the Charter Review Commission to go directly to the voters for their approval of proposals, amendments and revisions to the charter.”

County Legislature Majority Leader Paul Hansut said lawmakers “don’t see any disagreement over this veto.”

As a result of the veto, Hein said the language in the charter will dictate how the commission members are selected.