Here we are in the second month of 2025. Elon Musk has access to the Treasury Department's payment system, and the country is in a trade war with Canada. Meanwhile, here is what's happening in Hudson.
- On Tuesday, February 4, the Conservation Advisory Council meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
- On Wednesday, February 5, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency meets at 9:30 a.m. No agenda for the meeting is available, but two possible topics of discussion are the Galvan building proposed for 75 North Seventh Street and the adaptive reuse of the Crescent Garage at Warren and Eighth streets. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at 1 City Centre, Suite 301, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
- If you're free in the middle of the day on Wednesday, February 5--2.5.25--and can get to Albany, you can join the march at our state capitol. More information about the march can be found here.
- At 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 5, the Common Council Legal Committee has a meeting. At the last meeting of the Council, it was decided that, rather than vote to enact the proposed law regarding harassment of City officers and employees, it would be tabled. The law is likely to be a topic of discussion at the Legal Committee meeting. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
- On Thursday, February 6, at 4:00 p.m., Mayor Kamal Johnson holds a public hearing on the law raising the lodging tax in Hudson from 4 percent to 5 percent. The hearing takes place in person only at City Hall.
- Also on Thursday, February 6, the Columbia County Housing Task Force meets at 4:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at 1 City Centre, Suite 301, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
- At 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 6, the Public Works Board holds its monthly meeting. At its last meeting, the board discussed how property owners will get credit for repair or replacement work already done on their sidewalks. No decisions were made, so it is expected the discussion will continue at this meeting. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
🚨 Yet another tax increase on businesses by Kamal and Tom. See lodging tax.
ReplyDeleteWhat have they done to support locally owned businesses? What will the local businesses now get more of for that additional tax?
Where is Alex Petraglia and the Hudson Business Coalition on this never-ending tax increases on Hudson businesses?
Where did the Tourism Board go? Did anyone ever look at where the Tourism Board money went?
Trixie's List (a private initiative) has done more... and our local businesses have to pay for press firms to help market the town and their businesses. Why not leave money in the hands of those who earned it, since they allocate it better than you can?
Kamal, if you ever ran a real business you would be more thoughtful about taxes.
And for those running against Kamal... just run on a platform of freezing or lowering all local taxes for 2 years until the City's political dysfunction improves. Even Gary from the 1st Ward agreed with that statement at the last budget meeting...
He declared, "We have to cut taxes," and suggested that the City cut its budget by 20 percent over the next year. - Gossips Archive
Um, I’m all for raising the lodging tax. It’s more of a tax on tourists and not businesses since it’s itemized and added to their bill. It’s collected and paid via the business like any sales tax.
DeleteAs we know, Hudson needs to increase other means of revenue besides property taxes, which are a main driver of making housing unaffordable. Tourism is currently our most flourishing industry and I’d rather have them help foot the bill than just adding more burden to the residents. This means lodging tax, sales taxes and parking fees. NYC’s lodging tax is near 6% so I think 5% is reasonable.
Also, we need to make up for the lodging taxes that have dropped precipitously since the bone headed STR law that has reduced the number from around 120 to around 60, and much less than that this year after the temporary zoning variance some of them received will expire. They killed a golden goose and did not add any long term rental stock as most of those places were sold; and the rent has only increased since then.
Hi 🇬🇧 Jack -
DeleteYou are right that small towns like Hudson should always look out for ways to increase revenue in creative ways. And I still think if incoming candidates run on a freeze/lower tax platform many people will quietly vote for them.
CC Peter and Billy.
But imagine a world where the mayor / City Manager engaged with those who would pay the taxes and ask them what they need, ahead of time. When I meet Hudson business owners they are mostly (privately) very unhappy with the lack of attention from City Hall and the anti-business vibes.
🧠Just this act will show missing leadership.
And there might be a very easy (and free or cheap) thing that a City Manager could do for those who pay lodging tax that save them money / make them money elsewhere.
I believe most Hudsonian's do not mind paying reasonable taxes.. .as long as they get services for it and can vote on it.
Right now the cost to value equation in Hudson is not where it needs to be.
Also Jack, if the cost of the higher tax is only paid by less price sensitive tourists... that could be reasonable and even desirable. But how do we know the higher cost of running a lodging would not translate to lower utilization of local hourly or full-time labor?
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❓Jack, you seem to be a close follower of the goings on in Hudson. Are there other creative ways to raise revenue?
- sell the defunct properties with taxes in arrear?
- have HPD impound law breaking vehicles and earn the release fee?
- variable parking fees and fines on Warren that ramp up 2-3X Thursday - Sunday afternoons, but ramp down or free Monday through Thursday AM?
What else?
I agree with most of what you said and also agree that the anti-business vibe of the current administration is palpable. My only point is that not all revenue or taxes are bad, some are better than others. Also, a lodging tax is not accounted into the COGS of running a hotel or STR, they are a pass through tax paid by the consumer. It would only effect hoteliers negatively if it became punitive enough to drive away business, but I hardly think the 1% would be noticed, especially when the old rate was lower than average. The mayor had not much to do with it either way. The council passed the increase easily and the mayor just has to hold these public hearings before signing the bill, or vetoing it if he feels so inclined.
DeleteAnd yes, going after the extreme low hanging fruit of foreclosing on the properties with back taxes, around $2.5M worth, should be a top priority. This city wastes so much money on legal fees, usually brought on by goading everyone to sue them, that I find it hard they can’t retain a law firm that would make easy work of this. It would also benefit the city by conveying these likely derelict properties to owners that will invest in them which would add to the housing and commercial stock. A no brainer!
Fair points and we mostly agree.
ReplyDeleteThough consider that all these small costs and tax burdens are factored into financing models and increase the cost of capital.
We should not be surprised that only very high-end and more sophisticated boutique hotel players invest in Hudson. The small guys would rather go to other states and towns.
Put another way, Kamal and Tom's City Hall is taking dozens of steps from Rent Control laws to taxes that increase friction and costs for law-abiding entrepreneurs. It all adds up.
Also, look at the AirBnB map over time... Greenport (and other towns) Airbnbs are increasing.
Notice what happened in NYC. Most of lower Manhattan became unaffordable, and Brooklyn, New Jersey, and the outer boroughs became the living quarters.
Right now we are telling people with our actions to move to Chatham, Kinderhook and surrounds and commute into Hudson for work or commerce.
City Hall and co. make Hudson unaffordable for all but the rich, and then mock and antagonize the rich.
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Maybe not for this thread... but I'd love to know the root of the anti-business vibe and how it can change. So odd. Especially in a town with so many sole entrepreneurs... so close to New York...