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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