Good News on the Budget Front

Gossips was mistaken. The 2027 budget was not balanced by raising property taxes the maximum allowed. The projected revenue from taxes for 2027 is exactly the same as it was for 2026: $5,973,844.

What made the difference between the $171,000 gap at the end of the BEA meeting on Wednesday and the $61,000 surplus reported at the start of the meeting on Friday was an amended calculation of projected revenue from sales tax. 

The current budget documents can be found here.

The budget will be presented to the Common Council in a special meeting on Monday, November 9, at 6:00 p.m., at City Hall. 

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What Brought Us to This Place

On Thursday, Friends of Second Street (FoSS) and Project7Hudson held a community forum about the proposed Hudson Housing Authority redevelopment. The forum was introduced by a comprehensive, meticulously researched video recounting the history of Bliss Towers, charting Hudson's population decline, summarizing the current redevelopment plan, and introducing an alterative. That video can be viewed here. It is about half an hour long and well worth the time.

A report about the forum appears today in the Register-Star: "Residents hope Bliss revamp returns to drawing board."

Money for Hudson Infrastructure

The Register-Star reported late this afternoon that Hudson has received grants from the State of New York to improve its infrastructure: "Hudson receives $11.9M from state." The grant for $11,897,604 supports the city's ongoing effort to separate its stormwater sewer from its sanitary sewer, so that in significant rain events effluent from the sanitary sewer does not spill into the Hudson River, a phenomenon known as combined sewer overflow, or CSO. 

According to the article, Rob Perry, Superintendent of Public Works, estimates the sewer separation project will cost $180 million over fifteen years. Perry is quoted as saying, "Twelve million is a nice win, but we're going to keep applying for more and more grants because we want to bring the local costs down as low as possible. Over the next couple of years, we'll continue to apply for as many funding sources as we can get to help offset the cost."

A second grant was also received today: a cybersecurity grant for $50,000 to protect the city's water treatment plant and waste water treatment plant.

The Word on the Proposed 2027 Budget

At the beginning of this afternoon's Board of Estimate and Apportionment session, Mayor Joe Ferris asked City Treasurer Heather Campbell to review "where we stand." Campbell reported that projected revenues for 2027 were $16,673,584 and projected expenditures were $16,612,514. This was assuming a 3.16 percent increase in property taxes.

By the end of the session, the BEA had balanced the budget by reducing the anticipated lodging tax to eliminate the projected three months' of collecting lodging tax at 7 percent, since it is not entirely certain that an increase beyond 5 percent would be approved by the New York State Legislature. 

The BEA will present the budget to the Common Council on Monday, November 9, at 6:00 p.m., at City Hall, after which it will be available online for all to scrutinize.

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Update: Gossips was mistaken. The 2027 budget was not balanced by raising property taxes. The projected revenue from property taxes for 2027 is exactly the same is it was for 2026: $5,973,844.

Of Interest

Roger Hannigan Gilson explores the circumstances surrounding the abrupt departure of Bob Gibson from the Department of Social Services in the Times Union today: "Columbia County social services commissioner suddenly resigns." Among other things, the article confirms that Galvan Civic Motel is one of the properties that has been given to Bard College.

Eye on the 2027 Budget

At the end of their workshop yesterday, which went on for more than two hours, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) had whittled down the gap between revenue and expenditure to $171,000. A hike in property tax could close that gap.

It will be remembered that on Monday, City Treasurer Heather Campbell reported that the maximum property tax increase for Hudson this year is 3.16 percent, which would yield about $189,000. It remains to be seen if the BEA decides to close the gap by increasing property taxes or not. Council president Margaret Morris has repeatedly stated her commitment not to raise property taxes, but there may be no other way. 

The BEA holds its final workshop tomorrow, Friday, November 6, at 2:30 p.m. The proposed 2027 budget will be presented to the Common Council in a special meeting on Monday, November 9, at 6:00 p.m.

Although the 2027 budget has not yet been completed, City Hall today announced the public hearing on the budget:

The FY2027 Budget Public Hearing will be held on Tuesday, November 17, at 6 p.m. The meeting will take place at City Hall--520 Warren Street--and will also be available remotely via Microsoft Teams.

All residents of the City of Hudson will have the opportunity at the hearing to present comments on the proposed City budget.

After the proposed FY2027 budget is presented to the Common Council on November 9, the document will be available for review at City Hall during regular office hours and online at hudsonny.gov.

Making Connections . . . and Playgrounds

Last week, the Columbia Land Conservancy (CLC) hosted a ribbon cutting to mark the official opening of the new connector trail from the north end of Third Street down to Mill Street and Charles Williams Park.

The trail is Phase 1 of CLC's work on Charles Williams Park. In the spring, Phase 2 will begin, which involves the revitalization of Charles Williams Park--creating a destination playground with nature play features, adult fitness stations, pickleball courts, and a public restroom. Last year, in the Regional Economic Development Council initiative, CLC was awarded $675,000 for the renovation of Charles Williams Park.

Rendering: Starr Whitehouse

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Ear to the Ground

Almost a year ago, in December 2025, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) approved a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) for Hudson Mansion, the project that would develop 601 Union Street, for decades the Hudson Elks Lodge, into a boutique hotel. In June 2024, the Planning Board granted the project site plan approval, after a review that went on for eighteen months. The Historic Preservation Commission gave the project a certificate of appropriateness in September 2024.

The terms PILOT agreement offered by the IDA were less generous than the terms originally sought by the developer, Casetta. After the PILOT had been approved, Mike Tucker, then administrative director of the Hudson IDA, commented, "The IDA has seen developers that do not have the wherewithal to complete a project, but these people do." In the post reporting on the IDA action, Gossips commented, "It is not clear, however, given that the benefits of the PILOT being offered are less than what were requested, if the project will move forward."

Nearly a year has passed since the IDA granted the project a PILOT agreement, and in that time little has been heard about it, until last week. At the meeting of the Columbia Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) last Tuesday, October 27, Jonathan Spampinato, who succeeded Tucker as president and CEO of CEDC and administrative director of the Hudson IDA, reported on the status of Hudson Mansion: "We've received some inquiries from them about adding condominiums and how that would impact benefits. So, I'm guessing their investor stack needs a little massaging." 

Later, Spampinato explained how the hotel/condominium combination works: "What's becoming trendy with a lot of hotels is having condominium properties on the property as well that they would manage and will get rolled into the hotel's management, so when you're not there, it's kind of like Airbnb. It just reverts into their inventory, and they manage renting it out." 

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Closing the Gap

At the beginning of yesterday's BEA budget workshop (BEA being the Board of Estimate and Apportionment), the gap between projected revenues and expenditures stood at $1.16 million.

Early in the session, City Treasurer Heather Campbell reported that, given the tax cap in New York State, the maximum property tax increase for Hudson this year is 3.16 percent. If Hudson were to "max it out," the increase in revenue would be about $189,000.

The BEA came up with two ways to increase revenue. The first is to increase the fee for parking in the Amtrak lot--the big city-owned lot across the street from the train station--from $10 a day to $15 a day. Mayor Joe Ferris, who suggested the increase to $15 (the BEA had previously discussed an increase to $12.50), said the greater increase was "a reasonable change, since so many people who use the lot do not live in Hudson."

The second way to increase revenue was the lodging tax, which the BEA is proposing to increase from 5 percent to 7 percent. Since this increase must be approved by the NYS Legislature, it is not certain exactly when the increase could be put into effect.

On the cutting expenditures side, the BEA eliminated the new garbage truck requested by the Department of Public Works and the Hudson Police Department's proposal to hire two new officers. Another proposed cut from HPD's budget was the long-term lease agreement for vehicles. 

At the end of the BEA workshop on Monday, the gap had been whittled down to $264,092. But that might not be the final word. 

At the Common Council Safety Committee meeting last night, Chief Mishanda Franklin and Detective Sergeant Nick Pierro argued for the advantages of the long-term lease agreement proposed by HPD, which would keep City departments in new vehicles and save the City money over time.

The BEA meets again tomorrow, Wednesday, November 4, at 2:30 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.  

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Update on the Cats

Last week, Gossips shared an appeal from the Columbia-Greene Humane Society for homes for cats rescued from hoarding situations. Today, CGHS made the following announcement on Facebook.

On behalf of the entire Columbia-Greene Humane Society/SPCA (CGHS/SPCA), we would like to thank everyone for the incredible outpouring of support following three recent cat hoarding cases.

Thanks to the compassion and generosity of our community, we received and processed more than 250 adoption applications. We are delighted to report that all of the cats and kittens have either been placed in loving new homes or are awaiting pickup by their new families. . . .

Some Things Never Change

Over the years, Gossips has reported many times about Galvan projects flouting the rules and skirting the regulations. The practice continues.

At the Common Council Safety Committee meeting tonight, Code Enforcement Director Nick Fox reported discovering workers grinding lead paint off the side of the building at 16 North Fourth Street. This is one of the two houses that are to be the annex to the Galvan hotel project at Warren and Fourth streets--a project that has been subject to a stop-work order since August for violations to the certificate of appropriateness granted by the Historic Preservation Commission.

None of the workers was certified to do lead paint removal. The technique they were using allowed the paint dust to become airborne, endangering the workers themselves and creating a threat to public safety.

The incident has been reported to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Fox is monitoring the site to ensure when work resumes it is done properly.

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It's Happening on Friday the 13th

This past weekend saw the return of standard time. Weekend after next will see the return of alternate side of the street rules for overnight parking. The summer suspension of the rules on weekends ends on Friday the 13th.

Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

Here we are--in the month of November and back in standard time. As we are engulfed in early darkness, here is what's happening.

• On Monday, November 2, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) meets at 2:30 p.m. to continue its review of the proposed budget for 2027. Time is running out to find a way to balance revenues and expenditures. The charter indicates that the budget must be presented to the Common Council on or before November 10, and a special meeting of the Council for that purpose has been scheduled for November 9. The BEA workshop is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely. 
• At 5:30 p.m. on Monday, November 2, the Common Council Safety Committee holds its monthly meeting. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely. 
• Tuesday, November 3, is Election Day. The polls are open from 6:00 a.m. until 9:oo p.m. In Hudson, Wards 1, 2, and 3 vote at 11 Warren Street, and Wards 4 and 5 vote at the Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street.

• Also on Tuesday, November 3, the Conservation Advisory Council meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• On Wednesday, November 4, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) meets at 2:30 p.m. to continue its efforts to balance the budget proposed for 2027. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.  
• On Thursday, November 5, the Common Council Services Committee (Youth Department and Senior Center) meets at 5:30 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely. 
• Also at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 5, Friends of Second Street (FoSS) and Project7Hudson hold a community forum on the proposed redevelopment of Bliss Towers and its potential consequences for the city as a whole. The forum takes place at Time & Space Limited (TSL), 434 Columbia Street.

• On Friday, November 6, at 10:00 a.m., the Historic Preservation Commission holds a special meeting to consider the application for a new certificate of appropriateness for Hudson Public Hotel, the project at 402-406 Warren Street which is now subject to a stop-work order for violations of its original certificate of appropriateness. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

• At 2:30 p.m., on Friday, November 6, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) holds its final workshop before the proposed 2027 budget is presented to the Common Council on November 9. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
• On Sunday, November 8, at 1:00 p.m., Modern Witness: The Future of Hudson's First Presbyterian Church, a new documentary by Karl Frederick Mattson, premieres at Time & Space Limited (TSL), 434 Columbia Street. The trailer for the film can be viewed here.

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Hudson's St. Winifred(s)

Because today is All Saints Day, the timing of this post, inspired by something that happened yesterday, seems appropriate.

Yesterday, for Hudson Halloween, the very creative and inventive Lisa Durfee of Five and Diamond took her St. Winifred costume out of storage. At some point in the afternoon, she posed with the statue of St. Winifred on Promenade Hill, and Rich Volo of Trixie's List took these amazing pictures of the two Winifreds together.

Photo: Rich Volo

Photo: Rich Volo

Durfee created the costume in 2002 for a Halloween party at Hudson River Theater, once upon a time located on the second floor of 521 Warren Street. The costume made another appearance in Fourth Down fashion show--Fourth Down being an organization dedicated, in the early years of the 21st century, to promoting the area of Warren Street before Fourth Street. 

The costume got its greatest exposure in 2005, when Durfee as St. Winifred was featured on the Friends of Hudson float in the Flag Day Parade. That appearance was documented in the film Two Square Miles. You can watch the film here. St. Winifred appears briefly at 1:26:43 and again, for a bit longer, at 1:27:26.

Attention to St. Winifred usually raises the questions of who is St. Winifred and why there is a statue of her on Promenade Hill. The story of St. Winifred, a 7th-century Welsh saint who was beheaded when she refused the advances of a suitor and whose head was miraculously reattached, can be found here. The story of how the statue came to be situated on Promenade Hill was told by Mrs. Marion C. Smith in her book, The Hudson Valley Sketchbook, self-published in 1964.

In 1795 when the city was young and a source of pride to its citizens, this section, then called the Parade, was granted to the Common Council, forever, as a public walk or mall, and for no other purpose whatever. About 100 years later, still recognizing it as a spectacularly attractive park, Hudsonians decided it should be beautified. By July 1896, eight flower beds had been laid out in the form of stars, crosses, crescents and four leaf clovers. Coleus and bright, blossoming flowers painted the hill with patches of gorgeous color. Still one thing was lacking. Such a charming garden was not complete without a fountain.

Consequently, C. H. Van Deusen was named to take subscriptions to provide something suitable. Although the response was good, those accountable for the welfare of the city's population were uneasy with the idea. The "Register" worried editorially because "engines at the pumping house are working night and day, seven days in the week" trying to supply barely enough of that important commodity, water. Planning to use it in such a frivolous manner was disconcerting. But a solution seemed imminent for "it is proposed," continued this article, "to put meters into public houses and manufactories and to charge for the water allowed to escape needlessly."

So the fountain project progressed unimpeded. A local architect, Michael O'Connor, was a personal friend of General John Watts de Peyster, a renowned philanthropist living in Tivoli. Knowing of his penchant for donating fine sculpture, Mr. O'Connor made known the yearning of the local people for a fountain. By a lucky coincidence, the general just happened to have one on hand. It had been intended for the Watts de Peyster Hospital and Invalid Children's Home, operated by the Women's Board of Domestic Missions of the Methodist Church near Verhank [sic], N.Y. Those good ladies, faced with the same problem that was plaguing the Hudsonians, refused to provide the water supply.

General de Peyster was more than glad to come to Hudson with his friend and inspect the possible site for his fountain. He found it most desirable, but wanted the approval of the sculptor, George E. Bissell of Poughkeepsie, before making his decision. Bissell, who also executed the statue of Abraham de Peyster, first mayor of New York City, which stands in Bowling Green, was "enraptured with the location," declaring that it overlooked some of the finest scenery he had ever witnessed. The general is said to have remarked facetiously that although Hudson had many saints, he thought they would use one more.

St. Winifred was not a fountain in the same way Venus which once graced the Public Square was. Rather the statue was surrounded by water that flowed out of the statue's base. The water created a pool around the statue that was stocked with goldfish. The image below shows St. Winifred in the early days, before the pool surrounding the statue was filled with soil to create a bed for planting.

 

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