Town candidates talk taxes, affordable housing

During the town council members’ portion of the debate, councilman Fred Costello said the town expects to recoup its investment once the not-for-profit corporation that seeks to buy the sculpture begins its fund raising. Costello noted that Saugerties has received recognition in national magazines, and “Opus 40 was an important part of those stories.” Councilwoman Leeanne Thornton said she was impressed by the response of state historic preservation representatives when they walked the site. “They were saying this is a crown jewel of Saugerties, and it could potentially be an international art center.”

Republican Town Board candidates stressed the need for fiscal prudence. Pam Riggins suggested that expenditures as large as the potential cost of Opus 40 should be subject to a referendum. “It’s wasteful spending,” she said. Joseph Roberti Sr. said the property is beautiful, but too expensive for the town to maintain. “Private people can take it over, and it could flourish that way,” he said. I was disturbed that the town spent $12,000 without a town board vote,” Roberti said. “The town board promised that no taxpayer funds would be used, and to me that promise was not kept.”

Glasco housing development

Another bone of contention was the proposed 40-unit workforce housing development proposed for Glasco. Helsmoortel has supported the project, and he noted that state Senator John Bonacic “is supportive of this type of housing, affordable housing, senior housing, workforce housing.”

Myers said the PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) granted to the project is not the best use of this incentive, and that “what the community needs is jobs.” She asserted that the project could increase school taxes by $500,000 per year, and this would have to be picked up by the other taxpayers in the town. She noted that “650 people in the community have signed a petition against this project.”

Regarding an alleged $500,000 increase in school taxes cited by opponents of the project, Helsmoortel said “the assistant superintendent who cited $500,000 was chastised by the superintendent for saying it. If you take the school budget and divide it by the number of children, you get a figure. If you add one child, that’s not the amount your costs will increase; it just doesn’t work that way.”