I currently serve as the 4th Ward Councilmember and would like to continue serving through 2026-2027. I have served as Alderman/Councilmember for four years, 2018-2019 and 2024-2025. In the past two years, I have been the Chair of both the City’s Conservation Advisory Council and the Finance Committee.
- I’ve secured more grant money than other councilmembers.
- I look out for everyone, including the tax-paying middle class Hudson home owners and the Hudson business community.
- Experience – I understand the job and know the processes and can continue doing my work.
- As a community leader, I started the Pride parade in 2010 and voluntarily organized it for ten years. I organized bed races, polar plunges, and hundreds of events throughout the years.
I have lived in Hudson for twenty years as a Hudson property owner and I would like to continue living in Hudson. My concern is that the City’s property taxes are very high and there is no plan in place to offset future tax increases. I would like to see the City of Hudson apply for more state grant funding, and develop a plan, including a fiscal plan, for the upcoming years. Currently, the City’s budget increases about $800K annually with no plan in place to offset future increases.
Funding for the LED Light Bulb Exchange I secured from a $5K grant from New York State
Chair of Conservation Advisory Council
Secured over $100K in grants in 2025
Over the past two years, I served as the Chair of the City’s Conservation Advisory Council (CAC). As Chair of the CAC, I secured over $100K over the past year in three separate grants from New York State. (The salary of a Councilmember is $5K/year plus benefits).
- $5,000 grants for free LED Lightbulbs – now available at City Hall, Hudson Area Library, and other locations.
- $15,000 grants for electric lawn equipment for the Hudson City Cemetery – Purchased and in use.
- $87,500 grants toward additional electric car charging stations at the Amtrak Station and a Level Three, high speed charger near the dog park – In Progress.
The Conservation Advisory Council is also working on the following issues:
- Street Tree Planting. In 2025, the City budgeted about $13K for street tree planting. I asked for double that amount, it was voted down by the BEA. I will ask for additional funding this year. There is a wait list of people who want trees.
- Harry Howard Tree Grant – a row of trees has been planted along Harry Howard from a grant secured by former CAC Chair Hilary Hillman. I worked with the NYS DEC for the City’s to be reimbursed $46K. Several trees have died unfortunately, but I worked with the contractor, who has agreed to replace the trees this fall.
- The CAC has several other initiatives. We meet the first Tuesday of the month at City Hall at 6pm.
Chair of the City of Hudson’s Finance Committee
Going after unpaid back taxes
In November 2024, as Chair of the City of Hudson’s Finance Committee, I voted against the City’s proposed 2025 budget and highlighted the City’s unpaid back property taxes, over $2M. At the time, the City did not have a lawyer to initiate any legal proceedings. Thanks to Finance Committee member and Fifth Ward Councilmember, Vicky Daskaloudi, who recommended a legal firm, the City now has an attorney to help collect back taxes. The unpaid City of Hudson property taxes is, as of June 2025, almost $3M.
Opposition to Mill Street Project
I am opposed to the Mill Street Housing Project. The City would like to build seventy units in a flood plain on Mill Street. Yes, the City needs affordable housing, but this is not a good location. Here is my last letter to the City of Hudson’s Planning Board.
Several houses on Mill Street were built by Habitat for the Humanities and affordable for home owners. (The houses were built on concrete slabs at the top of the hill.) This is the type of housing the City needs – small-scale housing that is either rent-to-own or built by small nonprofits. When I briefly spoke to New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, she told me we should be working with small nonprofits.
We do not need housing to help enrich outside developers or multi-millionaires. I believe the City needs more housing – but not at the expense of the current homeowner. Property owners should not bear the burden of city services while developers and multi-millionaires receive tax breaks.
All affordable housing units should pay their fair share of City property taxes – no more PILOTS (Payment in-lieu of taxes).
We need a PLAN
The City of Hudson needs a plan, including a fiscal plan. The city is working to update the comprehensive plan, but without the proper resources – time and money – that plan will not be implemented. Plans sit on shelves because there’s no one in city government whose job it is to implement these plans.
For instance, the City of Hudson’s Strategic Housing Task Force Plan of 2018 should be used as guidance – it calls for small-scale scattered affordable housing.
The City’s budget has been increasing by about $800K annually over the past five years. In order to balance the 2025 budget, the City’s BEA (Board of Estimate and Appropriations) used $800K from the City’s Fund Balance or “Rainy Day” Fund. Today, the Fund Balance is at the state recommended level and there will be no more funds to offset any future budget gaps.
New York State caps the percentage a municipality can increase property taxes annually, about 3%. The City of Hudson has not done a city-wide property housing re-evaluation in several years. My concern is that unless hard budget decisions are made, the City will not be able to fill an $800K gap in the coming years and property owners will be looking at a large tax increase.
The City of Hudson needs to work with local businesses to help increase our sales tax revenue. I used to chair the City’s Economic Development Committee in 2018-19. This committee should be recommissioned to create a liaison between government and business.
The City of Hudson needs a plan for future growth.
Early voting in the Democratic primary starts Saturday, June 14th. Here’s the schedule.
Thank you very much for your vote.
