Legislator· 2025-01-01 to 2027-12-31
James W. O’Connell
Greene County
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Top issues during term (20)
County EMS service contract for 2027
Up to $21,000 from the education and training budget line.
Highway and Bridge Repairs Funded
About $3.1 million total, largely federal and locally funded through Capital Project #125.
NY Connects and HIICAP services for seniors and disabled residents
County pays the $35/hour contract rate (plus $2/hour Mountain Top supplement); total cost depends on service hours used.
2027 County Budget Hearing Set
Levy stays at $27,404,000 — no countywide increase, but equalization shifts mean some towns pay more and some pay less.
Public Health and Mental Health service agreements
No change to county funding — the same OASAS-funded services continue under the new organization.
Agricultural District 124 Inclusion Requests
No direct cost to taxpayers identified — this is a procedural step to schedule the hearing and environmental review.
Public Health advisory committee appointment
$50 per day of service plus mileage from county funds.
Town of Halcott emergency medical funding
Windham's ambulance budget alone rises about $189,000 next year; the county gave mountaintop towns $190,000 this year and is being asked to maintain or increase that.
Sheriff's Authority to Execute Mandated Contracts
Costs are already built into the Sheriff's Office annual budget, so no new spending is attached.
Cairo Senior Center kitchen equipment purchase
A $298,900 contract is on the table, paid for largely with federal CDBG money — but legislators figure taxpayers could save if State contract pricing beats it.
Windham Transfer Station improvements
Project cost to be set at the July 30 bid opening.
Chargebacks Assessed to Towns
$36,263 total charged back to towns across all 14-15 municipalities.
Court-ordered competency evaluation services
Up to $1,000 a month through the end of 2026.
2026 Equalization Rates for County Towns
Equalization rates feed into state aid formulas and tax comparisons across towns.
Snow & Ice Control Supply Contracts
Meeting the minimum salt allocation alone will cost about $435,000 — roughly 43% more per ton than last year.
Community Action cash-flow crisis from late state payments
The county's discretionary allocation is a lifeline the agency hopes to maintain after last year's doubling.
Veterans Memorial Expansion at Catskill Point
No new county tax dollars — $50,000 comes from the Randall Fried Endowment and about $18,000 from donor brick sales.
Senior & Disability Property Tax Exemption Income Limits
Raises the cap on who qualifies for county property tax relief, slightly shifting exemption costs within the county tax levy.
Verizon Copper Landline Discontinuation
High-potency 7-OH (synthetic kratom) sale ban
No direct cost to the county — this is a formal statement of support for state regulation.
Decisions during term (239)
Recorded while O’Connell was in office — not necessarily decisions they moved, spoke to, or voted on.
Appointing Director Of Real Property Tax Services (Resolution 353-26)
Appointing Member - Greene County Board Of Ethics (Bryan Frisbee)
Reappointing Member - Greene County Board Of Ethics (Michael D. Sprague)
Establishing Equalization Rates (Resolution 356-26)
Resolution In Support Of Legislation S8925/A9156-B Prohibiting The Sale Of 7-OH And Related Semi-Synthetic Alkaloids
Adjournment
Awarding Emergency Repair of Willowbrook Road Culvert Over Cob Creek (Resolution 342-26)
Accepting Evergreen Mountain Contracting Proposal for County Route 30 Slope Stabilization (Resolution 343-26)
CDM Smith Supplemental Agreement No. 1 for Platte Clove Bridge (Resolution 344-26)
Veterans Memorial Expansion Project at Historic Catskill Point
Amending Resolution 386-25 — Youth Program Funding Allocations
Amending Resolution 27-26 — Hearthstone Care LLC Agreement
Amending Resolution 291-26 — Senior Shopping Shuttle / Healthcare Consortium
Resolution In Opposition To The Discontinuation Of Verizon Copper Landline Service In Greene County
Resolution 340-26: Agricultural District Short EAF and Cooperative Agreement
Resolution 351-26: Reappointment of Thomas Hoyt to Soil Conservation District Board
Authorizing Agreement — Mental Health Dept. With Blue Line Psychological, LLC
Contract Amendment — Community Services Board and Twin County Recovery Services, Inc.
Appointing Member — Public Health Medical Professional Advisory Committee
Authorization to Pay Claims (Res. 304-26)
Voting record (154)
Oldest to newest — hover a bar for the item.
Reappointing Member - Greene County Board Of Ethics
Establishing Equalization Rates
Appointing Director Of Real Property Tax Services
Appointing Member - Greene County Board Of Ethics
Appointing Director Of Real Property Tax Services (Resolution 353-26)
Recorded as absent.
Appointing Member - Greene County Board Of Ethics (Bryan Frisbee)
Recorded as absent.
Reappointing Member - Greene County Board Of Ethics (Michael D. Sprague)
Recorded as absent.
Establishing Equalization Rates (Resolution 356-26)
Recorded as absent.