Greene County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Greene County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
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.
Agricultural District 124 Inclusion Requests
The county is adopting the state's Short Environmental Assessment Form for changes to agricultural districts, making SEQRA review faster and less duplicative. The legislature will serve as lead agency under a cooperative agreement with the state.
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.
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.
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 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.
County EMS service contract for 2027
The county will pay $1,050 per person for up to 20 residents to become certified EMTs, in exchange for 18 months of local service. Officials called the volunteer EMT shortage a life-or-death problem.
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.
2027 County Budget Hearing Set
The county's proposed 2027 budget keeps the property tax levy flat at $27.4 million for the eighth straight year, with nine towns seeing lower rates and five higher. The catch: it leans heavily on sales tax and reserves, which may not sustain the county past 2029-2030.
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.
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.
Windham Transfer Station improvements
The new maintenance building and scale house in Catskill just reached substantial completion and staff are moving in. Windham's transfer station construction has begun, with a temporary drop-off area open and Hunter's station adding a day to absorb the extra volume.
Highway and Bridge Repairs Funded
The aging River Road bridge in New Baltimore is being replaced under the federal bridge program. A. Colarusso & Sons won the $2.74 million contract, with CDM Smith handling inspection.
Veterans Memorial Expansion at Catskill Point
A new 5-by-12-foot monument wall with bronze plaques for all six military branches, donor pavers and landscaping is coming to the Historic Catskill Point. It's funded by an endowment and brick sales rather than new taxes, and should be done by May 2027.
Verizon Copper Landline Discontinuation
Verizon wants to shut off traditional copper phone lines by November 30, 2026, pending FCC approval. For many rural residents, those lines are the only reliable way to call for help — especially during power outages and for seniors who don't use cell phones. The county's daily senior check-in program also depends on them.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Snow & Ice Control Supply Contracts
State-bid salt jumped from $69 to $99 a ton, costing the county at least $435,000 just to meet its minimum winter allocation. Legislators are frustrated that Albany County pays $75 a ton for salt from the same nearby port and want the state to explain the difference.
Challenge to NY Sanctuary Legislation
The county unanimously endorsed a national law firm's lawsuit against New York's 2026 sanctuary immigration law. The Sheriff advised the county not to join as a plaintiff since it isn't a border county and holds no 287(g) contract, but lawmakers still voiced full support.
Emergency Services Upgrades and Disaster Planning
A new capital project (No. 179) was created under an ESInet readiness grant, moving the county's 911 dispatch network toward modern IP-based technology.
Preschool Special Education Contracting
The Legislature approved a contract for speech services for preschoolers with disabilities, required by state education law — with Bulich dissenting.
Cairo Senior Center kitchen equipment purchase
The county is equipping the new Cairo Senior Center's kitchen, which will produce roughly 100,000 meals a year for seniors. The committee delayed the $298,900 award to see if State-contract vendors offer better pricing, since federal grant money is on the line.
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.
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.
Three-year contract agreement with UPSEU for county nurses
The county ratified its 2026-2028 agreement with the nurses union (UPSEU), which passed 12-2 with Bulich and Hobart opposed.
Full tax exemption for seriously disabled veterans
A proposed local law would fully exempt the primary residences of seriously disabled veterans from county taxes and special district charges. A public hearing is set for August 19, 2026.
County Administrator term extension
A resolution was on the agenda to extend County Administrator Shaun Groden's current term.
Surviving spouse tax exemption for fallen police officers
Greene County enacted Local Law 1 of 2026, cutting county property taxes by up to 50% for surviving spouses of officers killed in the line of duty who live in the county and haven't remarried.
Property Tax Exemption for Surviving Spouses of Fallen Police Officers
Local Law 1 of 2026 exempts up to 50% of the assessed value of a fallen officer's surviving spouse's primary residence from county property taxes. It's a cost of sympathy for fallen officers' families, but since the state provides no reimbursement, the lost county revenue is absorbed by other taxpayers. Lawmakers also flagged plans to extend similar benefits to corrections officers once pending state bills are signed.
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.
Regional Brownfield Assessment Coalition
Greene County is partnering with Columbia County and the Hunter Foundation to identify potentially contaminated sites across both counties. An informational open house was held July 16 on Zoom, and the county opened its web page for additional property nominations.
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.
Matthew 25 Food Pantry lease renewal
The county is re-leasing 8 Union Street in Catskill to the Matthew 25 Food Pantry for five more years at nominal rent, keeping food assistance running in the community.
Greene County Office Building roof replacement
The main county office building roof is worn and damaged, and replacement bids are being sought to prevent water intrusion and structural damage. Two bid packages with 15- or 20-year warranty options are expected in August.
Cairo Senior Center Water and Sewer Extension
The county awarded a $544,900 bid to extend Cairo's water and sewer system to the new senior center, a major step in the long-planned Capital Project #161. Work waits on HUD environmental clearance.
AI Assistant for Social Services Eligibility
The county is trying a $15,000 AI-powered phone assistant to answer benefits calls and speed up food, housing, and medical eligibility determinations that have been lagging.
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.
First Responders Benefit Concert, June 19
Cairo's Ted Banta presented a June 19 benefit at the Barn at Bowery Creek Farm in Acra featuring local singer Logan Mudge, with proceeds going to first responders through his new Teddy Bear Heroes foundation. He's hoping for 300 attendees and a $4,000–$5,000 raise — and challenged Legislators to a line dance lesson.
Capital OTB Revenue Legislation Support
The county endorsed state bills that would send unclaimed OTB winnings and pari-mutuel tax revenue to participating Capital Region counties — money that supports county services.
Cairo Senior Center Renovation Moving to Bid
The long-planned Cairo Senior Center renovation is being put out to bid, and a related CDBG amendment could fund a commercial kitchen and congregate dining space for seniors and homebound meals.
County Clerk Mortgage Tax Fee Increase
The Clerk's annual fee for administering mortgage tax collections rises to about $142,763, paid out of the mortgage tax monies collected rather than new taxes.
Columbia-Greene Workforce Merger into Capital Region
The county is applying to merge its workforce development agency with the Capital Region's, aiming for better services for job seekers and employers and stronger federal funding competitiveness.
Greene County Justice Center construction cost growth
The county keeps adding to the Justice Center price tag — another $321,000 this month alone, pushing the general construction contract past $20 million. Five legislators voted no on both change orders, signaling growing unease with the project's costs.