Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Greene County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
28 issues with high priority
County EMS service contract for 2027
Greene County EMS President Mark Evans was scheduled to brief the Finance Committee on the state of the county's ambulance service. Updates like this often cover staffing, funding, and response-time concerns that affect residents countywide.
Town of Halcott emergency medical funding
Windham's ambulance budget is jumping 21.5% next year and Ashland's 14.5%, driven by higher wages, insurance, and a new hire. Mountaintop towns are asking the county to keep or increase the ambulance assistance they received this year, and plan to apply for a state grant together.
2027 County Budget Hearing Set
The county will hold its public hearing on the tentative 2027 budget October 28 at Catskill High School — your chance to weigh in before the budget is finalized.
Delinquent Property Taxes Rising
Collections on $10.5 million in delinquent taxes are running about $2 million behind last year, which the Treasurer attributes to economic stress — a warning sign for county and town finances.
Senior & Disability Property Tax Exemption Income Limits
The county is weighing an increase to the income cap for senior and disabled property tax exemptions — from $37,000 to $38,500 for a full 50% exemption, sliding up to $46,899.99. It's tied to the 3.6% Social Security cost-of-living bump so existing recipients don't lose their break. A public hearing is planned for December.
Highway and Bridge Repairs Funded
The Route 67 culvert in Greenville will be repaired for up to $44,016.40 by Town and County Bridge and Rail.
Proposed Hudson Valley Power Authority and Central Hudson electricity costs
Central Hudson is offering to fund utility feasibility studies for development sites like Cementon, saving the county those costs — though Legislator Hobart questioned whether letting the utility do the study is a conflict of interest. A formal MOU could come next month.
Greene County Transit future operations
ARC Mid-Hudson was the only bidder to keep operating the county's bus system, and the county just took delivery of ten new buses. The two-year deal starting January 2027 keeps service running countywide.
Greene County Office Building roof replacement
The county's main office building gets a long-overdue new roof, and reserves already set aside for exactly this purpose cover the full $741,839.69 price tag — no new taxes needed.
High-potency 7-OH (synthetic kratom) sale ban
7-OH is a synthetic compound derived from kratom that the FDA warned about in July 2026 and that the DEA considers an imminent hazard to public safety. The state Legislature passed a ban on selling products above 2% total alkaloids or 1 mg per serving, and the county is adding its voice urging the Governor to sign it.
Windham Transfer Station improvements
The Hunter Transfer Station is way over capacity — usage grew more than six-fold since 2018. Rebuilding Windham with separated commercial and residential drop-offs will spread out the load and fix a notoriously cramped site.
Verizon Copper Landline Discontinuation
Verizon is pulling the plug on copper landlines, and lawmakers worry rural and elderly residents will lose phone service during power outages — fiber backups only last about eight hours, and storms here can knock out power for days. Legislator Legg wants the county to lead a protest, with letters going to the FCC and Public Service Commission. The county administrator plans to have a letter of protest on Tuesday's full board agenda.
NY Connects and HIICAP services for seniors and disabled residents
The Hearthstone Care contract now covers Level II personal care — help with bathing, dressing, toileting and walking — at $35 an hour, with an extra $2 an hour for the seven remote Mountain Top towns where help is hard to find.
Community Action cash-flow crisis from late state payments
Community Action of Greene County told the committee that late state contracts forced a partial staff layoff and heavy reliance on a line of credit. The agency sheltered 23 people, served 101 domestic violence victims, distributed over 4,000 food packages, and paid $434,790 in rent and security deposits to local landlords last year.
Snow & Ice Control Supply Contracts
The county locked in bids for sand and abrasives for snow and ice control — including some very low prices — keeping winter roads clear.
Challenge to NY Sanctuary Legislation
Sheriff Kusminsky plans to join a free legal challenge by FAIR against a new state law barring sheriffs from federal ICE detention contracts, and asked legislators to consider county support.
Catskill hotel project near the Thruway
Closing on the hotel site is set for September 28 and the building will start going vertical, but the 1.7-acre restaurant pad next door still has no tenant despite outreach to chains like Cracker Barrel, LongHorn and Chipotle — the pad is too small for a Cracker Barrel's three-acre requirement. Hotel visitors would be able to walk over to the pad.
Cairo Senior Center kitchen equipment purchase
The $298,900 kitchen equipment award for the Cairo Senior Center was tabled, holding up the final piece of the senior center renovation project.
Cornell Cooperative Extension funding increase request
Extension wants its county appropriation raised from $244,090 to $309,900 — the first real bump in years. The money would mostly lift wages for educators earning $23–25 an hour who run 4-H, horticulture, and ag programs. Cut it and state matching funds shrink too; raise it and the state match stays flat.
Full tax exemption for seriously disabled veterans
The county is considering adopting a state-law option that wipes out county taxes and special district charges for seriously disabled veterans' primary homes. It would apply starting with the March 2027 assessment roll. Few veterans qualify — they must be rated permanently and totally disabled by the VA — so the fiscal impact is limited but real for other taxpayers.
Columbia-Greene Community College 2026-2027 operating budget
The college's $18.5 million budget is nearly break-even, with a small surplus and no use of fund balance — a turnaround after cumulative deficits of about $1.8 million since 2018. Greene County's sponsorship share drops by roughly $36,000 thanks to enrollment shifts, and the public can weigh in at an August 19 hearing before final adoption.
School Resource Officers in Six Districts
Every school district in Greene County will have Sheriff's Office resource officers for the 2026-27 school year, with districts reimbursing the county. Cairo-Durham gets two officers; the other five districts get one each.
Federal SNAP Cost Shifts Under H.R. 1
Federal law will cut the federal share of SNAP administrative costs and add benefit cost-sharing starting in 2026-2027, potentially costing Greene County about $243,582 a year and forcing higher property taxes or service cuts. The Legislature voted 9-5 to demand a two-year delay and to ask New York State to make counties whole if Washington doesn't act.
County Route 13 Storm Closure
Heavy August rains (8–10 inches, comparable to Hurricane Irene) blew out two structures in the Jewett area. Route 23C is open with monitoring, but Route 13 remains closed with a short detour while a repair is designed.
Cementon Redevelopment Area Conceptual Master Plan
The county is studying future redevelopment of roughly 1,700 acres of former cement plant and industrial land in Cementon and Alsen. The scoping document just adopted will guide a full environmental study of what could go there — advanced manufacturing, warehousing, mixed-use development, plus trails and conservation land.
Contractor accountability on construction projects
Legislator Mike Bulich criticized paying architects and engineers in full before major projects like the Justice Center are finished, and asked the county to consider holding back more money until work is completed.
New Deputies' Association Contract
The county locked in a three-year labor agreement (2026-2028) covering salaries and working conditions for county deputies. It passed 12-2, with Bulich and Hobart dissenting.
Kaaterskill Clove Visitor Management Dispute
The county formally objected to the state DEC's plan that could bring reservation systems, timed entry, or visitor caps to the Kaaterskill Clove area in Hunter. Local officials argue those limits would hurt tourism towns and just push crowds elsewhere; they want more parking, traffic management and staffing first.