Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Greene County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
50 issues
2027 food and supplies procurement for senior services and Sheriff's Department
The county needs to buy food, paper goods and disposables for the Aging unit and the Sheriff's Department during 2027, which starts with a public bid advertisement. Bids will be opened and read publicly under state law.
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.
Commissioner of Social Services contract-signing authority for 2027
The Legislature is asked to renew the Social Services Commissioner's standing authority to sign court-ordered and mandated contracts and MOUs without a separate vote on each one. It's a yearly formality that keeps the county in compliance with federal and state obligations.
Sheriff's Authority to Execute Mandated Contracts
The Legislature approved a contract for speech services for preschoolers with disabilities, required by state education law — with Bulich dissenting.
2027 STOP-DWI Plan
The county's annual plan for drunk-driving prevention and enforcement was up for committee review before going to the state. It underwrites local DUI patrols, education, and safety programs for the coming year.
Public Health and Mental Health service agreements
The county's addiction treatment contractor is merging with the Addictions Care Center of Albany. Services continue unchanged under the Twin County name, and the committee advanced the contract transfer unanimously.
Agricultural District 124 Inclusion Requests
Property owners who want to join the county's Agricultural District can apply November 1 through November 30 — contact the county economic development office for help.
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.
Election Results
The 2026 midterm results are in for Greene County, but the source only flags that winners are set and there are county-level implications—not the details. If you care about local services, budgets, or representation, the real impact will depend on what the newly elected officials do next.
Rapid Hepatitis C testing capability
Public Health proposed buying a machine that can detect active Hepatitis C from a fingerstick in about an hour, letting patients get tested and linked to treatment in one visit. The $26,407 cost is covered entirely by a state grant.
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.
Calls for property tax levy reduction
Resident Joe Izzo argued the county's $102 million fund balance, $150 million in cumulative surpluses and growing sales tax mean the county should cut the levy, not just hold it flat — especially for seniors and fixed-income residents.
I Love NY tourism marketing funds
The county wants state tourism dollars to keep marketing Greene County as a destination — it will pledge up to $172,500 in matching funds for the 2027 round.
Greene County Transit Operating Agreement
County bus service keeps running: ARC Mid-Hudson won the only bid to operate the transit system and lease its vehicles, on a two-year deal starting January 1, 2027 with three possible one-year extensions.
Veterans Memorial Expansion at Catskill Point
The county is expanding the veterans memorial at the Catskill Point with new pavers and hardscape, honoring local veterans past and present. It's funded almost entirely by endowment and donor paver money, so it costs taxpayers almost nothing beyond a small miscellaneous line transfer.
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.
2026 Equalization Rates for County Towns
The committee advanced resolution 356-26 setting the state-mandated equalization rates for all 14 towns — these rates let the state compare property values across towns and factor into school aid and tax calculations.
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.
2024 In Rem Tax Foreclosure Sales
The county is moving ahead with the 2024 tax foreclosure: owners get one last chance to redeem or repurchase their properties before the November 17 deadline, then the rest go to public auction.
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.
Countywide HVAC procurement
The county is starting the process to buy HVAC products competitively — equipment, components, and related materials. Bids haven't been received yet; this vote just authorizes advertising for them.
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.
Coordinated Transportation Plan public hearing
The county updated its transit plan using over a hundred public survey responses, and you can weigh in at a hearing November 18 before it goes to the state.
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.
Senior and Veteran Services Funding
Three human services contracts were refreshed: homemaker/companion care for seniors gets a rate clarification, the senior shopping shuttle keeps running with added medical transport for veterans, and youth sports programs get nearly $24,000 in state money.
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.
Capital OTB Revenue Legislation Support
The county wants the state to hand unclaimed OTB winnings and pari-mutuel taxes back to local counties instead of letting them sit with the Comptroller — worth an estimated $20,000-$40,000 a year to Greene County.
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.
Youth Sports and Recreation Funding
State funding of $23,664 is being divided among four local youth programs — Athens rec, Cairo summer sports, Durham swimming and Hunter's Mountain Top youth sports — keeping summer recreation and swim lessons going.
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.
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.
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.
Public Health advisory committee appointment
Erin Hedges, the county's Supervising Public Health Nurse, was nominated to the Public Health Department's Medical Professional Advisory Committee.
Court-ordered competency evaluation services
The county Mental Health Department needed a licensed psychologist for court-ordered competency-to-stand-trial evaluations. The committee advanced a contract with Blue Line Psychological at $250 an hour, capped at four hours a month through 2026.
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.
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.
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.
Chargebacks Assessed to Towns
Towns are being billed their shares of printing and mailing 2026 tax bills ($25,639) and exemption notices ($10,624). Chairman Linger voted no on both, the lone dissent both times.
Preschool Special Education Contracting
The Legislature approved a contract for speech services for preschoolers with disabilities, required by state education law — with Bulich dissenting.
Emergency Services Upgrades and Disaster Planning
Six to eleven inches of rain caused major flooding in Greenville, New Baltimore, Coxsackie, and northern Athens. Emergency alerting, shelters, water distribution, and a multi-agency resource center are ongoing; public damage estimates top $500,000, though the county didn't hit the statewide threshold for a federal disaster declaration.
Solid waste contract extensions
The maintenance building is nearly done, the Windham Transfer Station rebuild should break ground soon, and the department gets a new $139,900 excavator to keep operations running.
Greene County Cultural Fund regranting increase
A $3,000 county contribution helps the October comedy festival with marketing and staging — last year's event drew about 1,200 visitors to Catskill businesses.
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.
Approved gas station on Route 9W in New Baltimore
Legislator Martinez asked about the fuel tanks along Route 9W before the Thruway. The Town of New Baltimore approved a Cheema gas station between the dentist and Spark, with the operator responsible for its own water and sewer via a package plant since lines end at Kalkberg Commerce Park.
Driscoll Foods bringing roughly 100 jobs to Greene Business Park
Driscoll Foods is moving into its new Greene Business Park building, transferring some employees from Amsterdam and planning a hiring fair, with about 100 new jobs expected. CDL workers are being sought right now, and new signage is being added because people couldn't find the building.
CR 23B Rehabilitation Project Costs Grow
The Main Street, Leeds rehab project picked up $13,500 more for pipe camera inspections and archaeological monitoring — part of the cost of working on a historic roadway.
2027 Greene County Travel Guide
Bidding for the printing of the 2027 Travel Guide will be advertised, keeping the county's visitor-marketing publication on schedule.
Coxsackie 81/9W parcel rezoned for senior and workforce housing
The rezoning at Routes 81 and 9W in Coxsackie is done; the IDA board gets a housing policy and draft RFI on September 17 to find a developer for senior and workforce housing. The IDA also has to fund a third-phase archaeology dig before anything moves forward.
Sale of encroached 0.275-acre county property
A survey found a neighbor's property encroaches on part of an 18-acre parcel the county bought in 2024, so the county plans to sell that 0.275-acre piece to the highest bidder through sealed bids. The committee cleared the required environmental review.
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.