(Photo by Dion Ogust)
Town officials want everyone to know how great Saugerties is. Last week, the Town Board announced it would seek a $200,000 state grant to improve marketing and tourism through creating a new website, hiring a director of tourism, a social media advisor and starting a projects team along with various other ventures including printed materials and paying distribution costs.
The announcement was made by Supervisor Kelly Myers on Friday, June 13. The Town Board discussed and voted on the grant on Sunday, June 15.
“This grant is important for our local economy, and it is imperative that we take advantage of the opportunity to apply for these funds to assist us to promote Saugerties’ tourism and economic development,” Myers said.
The tourism push would range from New York City to the Canadian border, stressing Saugerties as a hub of the ski areas in nearby Windham and Hunter.
Councilman Fred Costello said the board supported the idea unanimously. “Why would you vote against a grant?” he asked.
While the grant is competitive, Costello believes Saugerties has a good chance of its being approved because the town has a track record of using grant money efficiently and effectively.
The grant was prepared by Vernon Benjamin, who was recently approved as the town’s grant writer.
If it’s important for the local economy, why aren’t the people who will actually benefit from it raising the money from investors to make it happen, instead of foisting the expense on taxpayers all across the state?
Applying for a grant is indeed a no-brainer, however, betting on ski tourism seems so VHS. And certainly, Saugerties’ social media marketing strategy needs to be broadened substantively in a way that respects the collective intelligence, i.e., “eating out and boutique shopping is fun” is a bit like talking too much about how much you love your wife.