Ulster Strong

06/17/2026

A large turnout at the UC Legislative meeting, with many speakers during the public comment period. Those for the tax, many wearing For the Many tshirts and representing Ulster Indivisible, spoke of the US Congress's budget necessitating tax increases locally. For those opposed to the tax, they spoke of an already heavy tax burden in New York and how it would impact small businesses and professionals. No resolution was voted on last night, but it is scheduled to return in July.

06/16/2026

Opinion, NYTimes
"Imagine that 10 acres of land in the middle of your city was unbound from the laws that limit housing construction. No zoning. No neighborly lawsuits. No reviews by the Department of You Can’t Build That or its sister agency, the Department of Slow Down.

It sounds like a wand-waving, deus ex machina solution to the housing crisis that is gripping North American cities. But it is happening right now, and in one of the most unlikely places imaginable: Vancouver, British Columbia.

Vancouver, a charming port city on the southwestern corner of the Canadian mainland, has the dubious distinction of being, by many measures, North America’s least affordable urban area. More than New York or Los Angeles, it is the place that has failed most spectacularly in the basic work of building enough housing.

It is also the host to a singular development. The Canadian government has returned 10 acres in the middle of Vancouver to the Squamish, the First Nation whose ancestors lived there. On that land, the Squamish are building the densest residential neighborhood in the country. It’s called Senakw, after a village that once stood in roughly the same place, and it will eventually include 6,000 homes in 11 towers. The first tenants moved in at the end of May."

A large real estate development in the middle of Vancouver, British Columbia, shows how cities can build more housing.

06/12/2026

PAUSED, BUT NOT GONE.
"Resolution will not be on the Agenda for Legislative Session on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, but the public is still welcome to speak on it during public comment. This resolution will next appear on the Agenda of the Ways & Means Committee meeting on Thursday, July 9, 2026. "

UC FAIR TAXES ACT - update!
We took ‘no action’ on Resolution 295 tonight in Ways & Means which means no decisions were made and we have another month to dig into this proposal and discuss with constituents.

👇see full Press Release below:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2026

Ways & Means Committee Extends Public Discussion on Fair Taxes Act

(Kingston, NY) – At the request of the Resolution’s Sponsors, the Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee has provided for further review and public consideration before action is taken on a proposed Home Rule request related to Resolution No. 295, also known as the Ulster County Fair Taxes Act.

“Our colleagues are eager to dig into this proposal, engage in dialogue and education with the public, and to explore the revenue models surrounding this legislation. As the state has already ended their legislative session for the year, we’ve asked the Ways and Means committee to take no action this month,” said Majority Leader Abe Uchitelle, a Sponsor of the Resolution.

“This Home Rule request was introduced with the expectation of action during the 2026 State Legislative session. With that session now adjourned, there is no longer an immediate deadline requiring County action, “said Legislator Jeff Collins, Chair of the Ways & Means Committee and Sponsor of the Resolution. “Despite only 2.4% of adults in Ulster County being affected by this Act, adding a new tax on any of our constituents, should be a thoughtful, deliberative process. Taking additional time now will allow legislators and residents to evaluate the proposal and continue a thoughtful discussion before any decision is made.”

Accordingly, this Resolution will not be on the Agenda for Legislative Session on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, but the public is still welcome to speak on it during public comment. This resolution will next appear on the Agenda of the Ways & Means Committee meeting on Thursday, July 9, 2026.

Full text of Resolution No. 295 can be found here: https://legislature.ulstercountyny.gov/resolution/2026/resolution-no-295-12/

06/11/2026

ULSTER STRONG CALLS FOR PAUSE ON 'FAIR TAXES' PROPOSAL
Ulster Strong is formally calling on Ulster County Executive Metzger and the Ulster County Legislature to pause the proposed "Ulster County for Fair Taxes Act." This is not a dismissal of the affordability challenges facing our county, nor do we take lightly the need to support our most vulnerable residents. Rather, it is a request for the deliberation, engagement, and evidence-based decision-making that a structural change of this magnitude requires.

Waiting for the Full Financial Picture
According to the latest publicly available data, Ulster County’s fiscal position has gained strength throughout the last five reported years. At the end of 2024, the combined fund balance stood at over $182 million, with nearly $100 million of unrestricted funds. While the landscape is clearly evolving as federal policies shift costs down to states and counties, we believe it is essential that any long-term tax strategy be based on the most current and comprehensive financial data available. Audited financial statements for 2025 are expected to be released this September, well before the State Legislature reconvenes in January. If these final figures confirm a substantial shift or decline in the county’s fiscal position, the case for targeted action will be much clearer. Moving forward with a permanent new tax structure before these numbers are analyzed would be premature and risks acting on incomplete information.

Prioritizing Fiscal Discipline and Growth
Any sustainable solution to our affordability crisis must prioritize fiscal discipline. While we understand the pressures that federal and state funding shifts place on the county—and we agree with the goal of creating a more equitable tax structure to fund vital services—we believe a new revenue stream should not be the automatic answer. We must be wary of a trend where the solution to every fiscal challenge is to increase the tax burden on residents and businesses.

True long-term stability for Ulster County will not come from recurring tax increases, but from fostering a vibrant, expanding economy. We must prioritize strategies that broaden our local tax base rather than relying on ever-growing government budgets. When government spending consistently outpaces our local economic growth, we create an environment that stifles innovation and limits the ability of our small businesses—the backbone of our community—to reinvest, hire, and thrive. A measured review of the county’s operational needs is a necessary precursor to asking stakeholders to commit to a new tax obligation.

A Collaborative Path Forward
Ulster Strong remains focused on supporting smart and sustainable economic growth for our community. We agree with the County Executive that affordability is a critical issue; our goal is not to stop progress, but to ensure that the solutions we implement are as robust, sustainable, and equitable as they are intended to be. To that end, we believe business leaders and economic stakeholders must be active participants in crafting solutions. A tax policy developed in isolation risks missing the nuances of how it might impact the local business ecosystem or the migration patterns that have been central to the county’s recent growth.

We urge the Ulster County Legislature to reject the rush to a vote. By delaying this decision until the fall, the county can ensure that it has the full 2025 audit in hand and that it has engaged in a robust, transparent dialogue with the business community. Taking the time to answer common sense questions, like why the thresholds were set at the proposed levels, why it makes sense for Ulster County to act alone, or how the new tax will be guaranteed to offset property taxes will help people arrive at informed positions, rather than emotional reactions.

Ulster Strong stands ready to help, in good faith, to bring stakeholders to the table to understand the county’s fiscal challenges and to identify options that preserve the county’s fiscal strength while balancing equity with long-term economic sustainability.
Let’s take the time to get this right.

Take our brief survey to share your perspective on the Ulster County for Fair Taxes Act:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeTCNHXJhJJ3CbDKkfsU3j5eOUiusJktSPclmOKx0olnjlItQ/viewform?fbzx=-3301527347419027998

06/11/2026

The Woodstock Land Conservancy has ended its lawsuit over a review of the Zena Home housing project.

Town officials received confirmation on Wednesday from Woodstock Land Conservancy that an interpretation of zoning regulations satisfies a court requirement to explain why Zena Homes’ 30-lot subdivision application is under town Planning Board review instead of the Town Board.

The Woodstock Land Conservancy has ended its lawsuit over a review of the Zena Home housing project.

06/09/2026

"A developer has been selected to construct a 50-unit affordable apartment complex on the city-owned parking lot on North Front Street in Uptown, according to Mayor Steve Noble.

Noble said on Monday that the city has picked Gemion Consulting LLC and Rockabill Development LLC as development partners in the planned housing project at the 65-77 N. Front St, property. The project is expected to contain mixed-use storefronts.

“As planning advances, the project team will carefully evaluate opportunities to maintain public parking access while supporting the site’s long-term redevelopment goals,” a news release said."

A developer has been selected to construct a 50-unit affordable apartment complex on the city-owned parking lot on North Front Street in Uptown, according to Mayor Steve Noble.

06/08/2026

"Nine years ago, city planners put a stamp of approval on a plan that, among other things, shaped the destiny of two hospital campuses.

One of them – the former Kingston Hospital on Broadway – was to be reconfigured into a bona fide “medical village,” a site for a variety of medical services all under one roof.

That transformation is not totally complete but much has been done, according to Westchester Medical Center HealthNetwork, the owner of HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley, which runs the 237,000 square-foot facility on five acres.

“Our vision for the Medical Village is to transform patient care delivery for residents of Kingston and the surrounding communities by bringing together a broad range of health and community services, medical, educational, and social, into one central, easily accessible hub,” a WMCHealth spokesperson said in a recent statement when asked by the Freeman for an update."

Nine years ago, city planners put a stamp of approval on a plan that, among other things, shaped the destiny of two hospital campuses.

06/06/2026

In the twilight hours of this year's legislative session, the New York state Legislature passed a bill that aims to prohibit surveillance pricing.

The One Fair Price Act, which passed both chambers in Albany, would ban surveillance pricing, which would keep companies from using artificial intelligence and algorithmic tools to analyze everything from your browsing and shopping histories, your location, demographics and even your mouse movements on a webpage to determine how much you’re willing to pay for a product.

It’s different from “dynamic pricing” recognized as surge pricing practices.

Gov. Kathy Hochul would need to sign the bill for it to become law.

06/05/2026

"When the dust settled after the pandemic, at least a half dozen restaurants and bars were gone, BSP did not return, and the Anchor had served its last burger to the neighborhood that had loved it for eleven years. The creative and service economies that had spent decades quietly colonizing Midtown’s empty storefronts were now clinging to survival. But the pandemic had also done something few expected: it had sent a tidal wave of New Yorkers straight up the Thruway and directly into Midtown Kingston’s arms. And they brought city money with them.

What followed was the kind of thing urban planners spend careers trying to manufacture and almost never can: genuine, self-sustaining momentum. Before the pandemic, most transplants opted to go deeper into nature, toward one of the county’s more quaint villages, towns or hamlets. Many in the post-pandemic transplant wave didn’t come here looking for a new life. They wanted all the amenities of the city, just cheaper and greener and with parking. They wanted record shops, restaurants, vintage and thrift goods, tap rooms, wine bars and distilleries. Kingston, with its affordable storefronts, bones of a scene already in place, and a stubborn refusal to be anything other than itself, gave newcomers the Upstate Brooklyn atmosphere they craved. New residents patronized existing businesses, which drew new businesses, which drew more residents, which drew tourists, which drew more businesses still."

Center of attention…

06/04/2026

"Ulster town officials are under a court order to stop the review of Zena Homes’ request for a 30-lot subdivision until Woodstock Land Conservancy is provided with an explanation of why the application is in front of the Planning Board instead of the Town Board.

In a Tuesday, June 2, decision, Judge Kevin Bryant said the injunction against further reviews will be in place until the town either fulfills state law by making a determination or provides an argument for why it considers that unnecessary."

Ulster town officials are under a court order to stop the review of Zena Homes’ request for a 30-lot subdivision until Woodstock Land Conservancy is provided with an explanation of why the application is in front of the Planning Board…