NEWS: State of the Town-2024: Coeymans’ Strategic Plan for Sustainable Growth

In the spirit of true transparency and communication, this administration’s approach to aligning the Town of Coeymans with its history, its Comprehensive Plan, and its economy in order to foster viable growth is outlined here.

Every decision we make is guided by the rule of law to ensure fairness, consistency, and accountability—no special privileges, just good governance.

Before I discuss our progress, I want to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to the people who make Coeymans a strong and vibrant community.

• To my fellow town officials—your leadership and dedication help guide our town forward.
• To our first responders—our police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel—your service and sacrifice do not go unnoticed. We are deeply grateful for the safety and security you provide.
• To our local business owners, educators, and community volunteers—your hard work and commitment make Coeymans a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
• To our county and state representatives—your advocacy helps secure resources and opportunities for our community.
• And most importantly, to the residents of Coeymans— we thank you for your engagement, passion, and trust. It is an honor to serve you, and I look forward to continuing our work together for a secure future.

This strategic plan was created with the help of all the people I just thanked. This is not a one-man show, it takes all of us to envision our town’s progress.

I would also like to thank the Board members before us, and their work creating the Town of Coeymans Comprehensive Plan. The Comp Plan was and is our guide moving Coeymans forward. Within the Comp Plan are lists of Coeymans’ assets and liabilities, and that information directed us to the first issue that needed to be addressed on day one:

Issue #1: Strengthening Communication to Build Community

The Challenge: the lack of coordinated communication with the Village, RCS District, local businesses, and residents.

Our Solution: Open lines of communication with all entities to foster collaboration, and cooperation, to secure resources, and mitigate liabilities.

The practical execution and results:

• Newly designed Town of Coeymans website to improve accessibility to town government and further transparency.
• Collaboration with the Village: Town and Village residents now share the Village Pool, strengthening our sense of community.
• Revival of old traditions: Together in the Friendship Festival and Christmas Parade.
• Improved negotiations: Water and sewer discussions progress smoothly and respectfully.
• Collaboration with RCS District: Our Volunteer Forum in Partnership with RCS students and parents to support and discuss community initiatives was a great success.
• In the Discovery Camp program: Youth Employment was secured in the budget with community support.

Outcome: The Town of Coeymans now operates at a higher capacity thanks to restored and strengthened relationships and communication with our neighbors.

In coordination, we had to address:

Issue #2:  Focus spending and improve financial planning

The Challenge was the town budget funds needed to be secured with proactive, strategic planning, and correct the overestimation in budget lines to free up funds.

Our Solution was to Conduct a full review of previous financial spending to cut waste, and correct mistakes.

What that meant practically:

• Reverse the Hillcrest Church purchase: The Town Board reversed this plan to relocate Town Hall in an impractical location and building, saving millions of dollars and recovering a $10,000 contractual fee.
• Long Energy Appeal: this avoidable lawsuit wasted nearly $100,000 in taxpayer money, moreover, the town had to defend itself from from a demand to pay attorney’s fees, wasting more tax payer dollars.
• We also probed into alleged unlawful contracts: Questionable agreements were scrutinized to be judged on legal merits, to protect town resources.

Outcome: By eliminating these financial pitfalls, we prevented our town from sinking into financial instability and unnecessary division.

As these two issues were being addressed we began on the third:

Issue #3: Reinvesting in our future

The Challenge: Little to no investment due to budget mismanagement.

Solution: Review each department’s fixed assets, assess strengths and weaknesses, and create an investment plan to maximize resources and revenue.

What that meant practically is we had to create:

• A streamlined and cost-effective budget for 2025.
• Participation in NYCLASS (New York Cooperative Liquid Assets Securities System)—which allowed the town to invest safely while increasing revenue. This resulted in:
• A 1,118% increase in revenue from 2024 as compared to 2023.

To clarify the 1,118% increase was for 4 months – September to December – in 2024 ($85,000), compared to all 12 months of 2023 ($6,000). We expect much larger numbers in 2025.

Outcome: Cutting waste allowed us to reinvest in our town’s growth without raising taxes.

Issue #4: Economic Development

The Three-Part Strategy for the foundation of Growth:

1. A full-time Supervisor working daily in coordination with town officials, appointees, and employees to execute our plans for communication, cooperation, fiscal responsibility, and investment.
2. A centralized local government: Our new Town Hall on Route 9W offers an ideal location without monthly rent, interest payments, or tax increases. And this centralized location will enhance government efficiency and demonstrate to potential investors the organized and well-ordered support they will receive when investing in Coeymans.
3. Small business support: We’ve fostered transparency and trust, inviting businesses to reach out when in need of support and cooperation. Working closely with the RCSCBA, we continue to raise the profile of local, and family-owned businesses.

Another important, yet overlooked, part of the Economic Development in the Town of Coeymans is our history: investing in our rich culture and history should really be at the top of this list. To move forward, it is essential to know our past:

• Together with the Ravena Coeymans Historical Society, we are working to raise the profile of our rich town history by coordinating events and preserving historical markers.
• And our support of the Alcove Preservation Society helped secure a $15,000 grant for the Chimney Capital Project at Valley Paper Mill Park.
• These types of projects are essential to preserving our local history.

Issue #5: A safer Community Through Law Enforcement

• Coeymans law enforcement officials are at the forefront of the safety and security of our town. Nothing could be more important than for every citizen to feel, and be, safe in their community. Our administration has increased the Coeymans Police Department budget 34% to ensure every call continues to be answered, and all officers are safe in their duties, and using reliable equipment.
• This Department funding has resulted in more full-time, on-duty officers, and new cruisers upfitted with the modern communication, and shield protection in every patrol car for our Coeymans officers.
• We did all this without an increase in tax.
• And to make our parks safer, we have cameras installed at the Riverfront Park, and Joralemon Park.

Issue #6: Infrastructure & Public Services

• $500,000 USDA grant being secured for the Waste Water Treatment Plant, with potential for an additional $2–$3 million in funding.
• Flood mitigation efforts on Route 143 and Stanton Road, in coordination with our hard-working Highway Department.
• Expansion of high-speed internet via MidHudson Fiber Optics to Lindskoog Road is complete, and residents will be getting information on how to contact for high speed installation in the next week or two. And, according to MidHudson Fiber, our more rural residents on Carr Rd are projected to have high speed installation in the next 18 months.
• And by creating a relationship with Liberty Housing, we are moving toward the renovation of a beloved historic building on Civill Avenue, and the protection and safety of much needed senior housing in our town. Liberty has also indicated an interest in the creation of future buildings to provide our most vulnerable residents with homes to live for decades to come.

This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but I saved our most important issue for last:

Managing Truck Traffic

The challenge of high truck traffic has been affecting the quality of life and business investment in our town and village for decades. However, we are working on a solution by working directly with industries and state/local offices to develop mitigation strategies.

Protection of our living space is at the very top of our 2025 list. And we are optimistic that with the productive discussions underway to balance industry needs with residential concerns, we will be able to ensuring safe, livable neighborhoods for our children and their children.

We believe the Key to Success is Trust & Accountability

At the heart of all our initiatives is trust—trust in the rule of law, in responsible governance, and in our community.

• We trust our department heads to effectively run their departments.
• We trust in open communication, sound financial management, and smart investments to strengthen our town.
• Most importantly, we trust our neighbors—because trusting each other is what makes us a community.

Thank you for allowing me the honor of serving you. I look forward to continuing our progress together.