Participants in the town hall who have so far been announced are Jack Mabb, from the Columbia County Department of Health; Matt Murell, chair of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors; Mike Tucker, president and CEO of Columbia Economic Development Corporation; and Tom DePietro, Common Council president.
In making the announcement, Johnson stated: "I strongly believe in connecting with my constituents. This will be the first of a series of forums to bridge the gap in resources, information, and to answer questions from my constituents."
I hope we are going to be wowed by some out of the box thinking by the mayor and common council president.
ReplyDeleteThings like:
1) Requesting that members of the Common Council and the 5 Ward Supervisors who are not willing to be actively and constructively engaged in re-building Hudson on the other side of this crisis to PLEASE RESIGN!
2) Announcing that the Common Council Committees are being rethought- and new agendas for each will focus ONLY on work to sustain and re-building our city. That a Health Committee will be immediately formed and that actual experts to advise the committees will be appointed.
3) Announcing that the city Budget will be cut by at least 40% to ensure the city can survive projected short falls in tax revenues and that the first cuts will be 1) to abolish the absurd and unnecessary role of Mayor’s Aide and to 2) stop paying Common Council members and Ward Supervisors (in most small towns these are voluntary positions).
4) Declaring that property taxes will be suspended, forgiven, and/or lowered to at LEAST what they were before last summer’s reassessments.
5) Announcing a suspension of property taxes in full for all landlords who suspend or offer their tenants rents 50% below monthly leased rate.
6) Requesting that Common Council members and Ward Supervisor lead by example in regard to suspending rents for tenants. Acknowledging that there are just too many Common Council members and Ward Supervisors who pretend to be social activists and “revolutionaries” yet hide when activism means their own bank accounts or trust funds will be impacted.
7) Pledging to NOT MAKE EXCUSES AND CLAIM HANDS ARE TIED in coming up with solutions to the current crisis.