The Hudson City School District increased its budget this year by $1.6 million, and things are not looking good for the 2022 budget for the City of Hudson. At the informal meeting of the Common Council this past Tuesday, city treasurer Heather Campbell reported there was a $1.5 million gap between anticipated revenue and requests for funding. Council president Tom DePietro denied this, saying the statement was "not well thought out in terms of data." Granted the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) has not completed its budget review, and more budget cuts will undoubtedly be made to bring things in line, but with two new expectations for funding--from the Tourism Board and for the housing trust fund--and a possible 137 percent increase in what the City must pay for legal services, things are not looking good for the property owners of Hudson.
The one ray of hope is coming from the county. Yesterday, Matt Murell, chair of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, announced that there might be a decrease in county taxes:
"I am pleased to report that, based on the analysis of our finance team of Treasurer PJ Keeler, Controller Ron Caponera, Finance Committee Chairman Jim Guzzi and myself as Budget Officer, we are currently seeing projections that inform us the 2022 budget will bring with it a tax decrease," said Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chairman Matt Murell. . . .
As things currently stand, the tax decrease would result in a county tax rate decrease to county taxpayers, Chairman Murell said, adding that it is important to realize at this time that with two-and-a-half months remaining in this fiscal year, projections are based not only on current trends but also on historical trends. . . .
This morning, Tistrya Houghtling, on behalf of the Democratic Caucus, released the following statement:
On September 8, 2021, the Democratic Caucus urged the Columbia County Board of Supervisors to support a budget that ensures residents get better services without increasing taxes.
"Our families are still struggling financially," said Democratic Minority Leader Tistrya Houghtling. "I'm thrilled that the Chairman has followed our lead and has agreed to no tax increases." At a meeting on October 13, Board of Supervisors Chairman Matt Murell announced his support for no tax increases, and based on current projections, the possibility of a tax decrease. Since 2013, the average tax increase has been 1.1% a year. . . .
The Board of Supervisors will present the final 2022 budget to the public in December with a vote later that month. The budget, approved in 2021, will determine the tax levy for 2022.
COPYRIGHT 2021 CAROLE OSTERINK
Tom's behavior at the Informal on Tuesday was puerile, chauvinistic, and totally unacceptable. I was listening to the meeting with a friend in the room and she gasped when she heard him speaking that way to City Treasurer Heather Campbell, who kept her composure quite nicely and didn't lower herself to his tone.
ReplyDeleteI will add that he was similarly condescending when she estimated the Recovery Act allocation to Hudson to be about $600k, to which he snorted it was $2M and she should go back and read it. (It was about $600k.)
Hudson, make sure you vote.
The Tourism Budget is outrageous. It's the last thing Hudson needs. It generates it's own publicity and had done since the late '80's. It is choc-a-bloc with visitors and people moving here - no need for an overweight tourism budget.
ReplyDeleteThere is actually plenty of room for growth in the tourism industry, in a way that benefits local businesses, their employees, and the taxpayers of Hudson. This board has shown exactly zero interest in growing out the industry in a way that might benefit those who depend on it to make a living.
DeleteHDC or the Business Coalition would provide much better leadership and direction in terms of identifying and growing these opportunities, as the mayor and Common Council president seem incapable of appointing and retaining anyone but incompetent cronies unwilling to rise to the task to which they were appointed.
This is very telling and demonstrates what’s at stake here. A council that spends like a drunken sailor and playing down the treasurer’s concerns. We can’t depend on a federal bailout every year. It’s nice to see that at least the county is trying to be respectful to taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteThis is also what happens when laws are slapped together and passed with little deliberation and ignoring the guidance of legal counsel. As I’ve said before,
The biggest jobs program sponsored by Hudson is for lawyers. Between the council and the incompetent assessor, this city is a giant welcome mat for lawsuits.
Questions about the ethics (or rather the total lack thereof) of City attorney Cheryl Roberts and her team continue to bubble up. The transfer of land assets from Colarusso to the Greenberger Center, of which she is the executive director, is just the latest. (I had always heard Francis Greenberger actually cared about the Greenberger Center’s mission, but it seems just a cynical money grab after all.)
DeleteWe might soon add lawsuits from Verizon, residents surrounding the new Galvan development, and property owners who have invested in this community.
Indeed, if there is a strategy here, it seems to be a concerted effort to overspend and mismanage City finances to a state of crisis, all the while selling off any assets the City owns that might cushion the blow of a downward turn.
Hedge funds with positions in commercial mortgage-backed securities (investors in these include many of the ‘philanthropic’ organizations that fund the social justice non-profits demanding more subsidized housing) couldn’t ask for better puppets than some of Hudson’s elected leaders, and indeed many of the community organizations who haphazardly advocate bad policy thinking they’re on the side of the angels. Luckily, people are starting to take a hard look at the machinations of these organizations.
Hudson, and indeed many communities throughout upstate, are going to be looking at Urban Renewal 2.0, importing poverty with no job market, institutionalizing generational poverty for underserved communities, and saddling residents with heavy tax burdens. But hey, at least the hedge funds will be churning out nice dividends.