On January 18, on the second floor of City Hall, Mayor Bill Collins held a press conference on the State of the City of Glens Falls. The Mayor spoke for just over 41 minutes before opening up the event to questions.  

Collins elicited laughter from the crowd when he introduced the topic of taxes: “Before we discuss the highlights and goals I’d like to look back at the last decade or so, let’s begin with everybody’s favorite subject: taxes… I’ve lived in a house in Glens Falls worth approximately $150,000 for the last 25 years, and here is the tax burden that I have faced… The total city tax increase on this average home… was $237; that’s less than a $24 increase each year… (that) supports a paid police department, paid fire department, paid professionals, and our small city of less than four square miles” Collins said.  

Mayor Collins touched on a variety of issues during his speech – he mentioned that in 2022, a study by news outlets and crime statistics and comparative crime rates showed that Glens Falls was the safest city in the United States. The Mayor’s speech touched everything from infrastructure to the wastewater treatment plant, and highlighted the merger of the Glens Falls Transit system with Capital District Transportation… Mayor Collins also focused on the City’s ability to use state and federal grants to complete programs and not use the property tax dollars. 

One of the key topics was the Downtown Revitalization Project (DRI): “As most of you know, we’ve signed an agreement with a contractor for the first phase of our DRI to purchase the former Hot Shots building and the so-called incubator building, and renovate those two buildings along with the former Sandies… All three will include both commercial and residential space, and that’s nearly 14-million dollars in investment… The second phase is the new building on South Street and Elm Street, which will include 70 new apartments and commercial spaces” the Mayor said. The City is also working through the final designs of the event and marketing center, and expect to break ground on that in Spring of 2023. 

The Mayor went on to highlight the ability of Glens Falls to do more with less; he mentioned the vacancies in city government – which has led to a cut back in services – and encouraged the community to participate by filling vacant positions within the city government, the police department, and fire department; or volunteering for committees.

Mayor Collins also touched on the possibility of paid parking in the future, referring to the topic as the ‘third rail’ of city politics: “The newest report on our parking use and utilization is expected soon… Our continued business growth, new apartments that are planned, more that are being encouraged… We need to lay aside any self-interest regarding parking and work towards a holistic plan that makes sense for the entire community” Mayor Collins said.

Looking forward, Mayor Collins would like Glens Falls to attract the young people who leave Glens Falls and go off to college to return to Glens Falls instead of moving to larger cities. He wants young professionals to stay in the area and build their lives here. 

The Mayor balanced successes and challenges – reportedly, 50% of the population of Glens Falls have an annual income that places them in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s “Need of Service” category. To help the people who are in need, the City will be hiring a new social worker in 2023 – this position will help the community by being a conduit between the community and the police force, firefighters, and other service providers.  

Mayor Collins with his affable manner is an effective community leader. He has a vision for Glens Falls that includes the needs, challenges, and future successes of the community for the coming year.

On January 19 at 2:00 PM, the New York State Division of Veterans’ Services Director Viviana DeCohen and other leaders will hold a special event at the Adirondack Welcome Center, located on Interstate 87 North between exit 17 and 18 in Queensbury, New York. This event will dedicate a new “Veterans Welcome Center” digital kiosk to the rest area; this kiosk will provide specialized, interactive information on benefits that are available to veterans, service members, and military families passing through the area.  

“Every day in New York, we strive to ensure that those who have served our country have easy access to all of the benefits and programs available to them. Through cross-agency collaboration and initiatives like this expansion of digital kiosks, we are improving access to services and demonstrating New York’s continued commitment to making our state the best place for veterans and their families to call home.  We thank and honor them for their service” Governor Hochul said. 

New York State Division of Veterans’ Services Director Viviana Decohen remarked: “We are grateful to Governor Hochul for her continued support and championing of new and innovative ways to reach the veterans of New York through technological solutions such as the digital Welcome Center Kiosks. Her administration’s support of these initiatives ensures we fulfill our mission of assisting all of New York’s veterans, service members and their families in accessing the benefits they have earned through their military service.”

DeCohen – a Marine Corps Veteran – joined the Division of Veterans’s Services in December of 2021. The first-ever digital Veterans Welcome Center Kiosk was dedicated on Veterans Day, 2021; this Kiosk was placed in the New Baltimore Welcome Center on The New York Thruway, which welcomes approximately 500,000 visitors annually.  The addition of the welcome center kiosk will help veterans throughout the Capital Region.

The Warren County 4% Occupancy Tax is due by Friday, January 20, 2023. This tax was collected by hotels, motels, bed-and-breakfasts, and short-term rentals in 2022; short-term rentals are defined as rentals for 30 days or shorter in duration. It is estimated that there are about 950 short-term rentals in Warren County.

This 4% occupancy tax for Warren County is used for tourism promotion – this tax is charged to the guest as part of their booking with the establishment.  Those who own and operate short term rentals in Warren County are required to register with the county, and the owners of the properties are responsible to pay the occupancy tax when the property is rented through AirBnb or VRBO.  

Short term rentals were added to the list of “Bed Tax” properties in 2018… The intention had been for major internet providers with services at those properties to collect and remit the tax to the county, but those companies did not respond to the request. This “Bed Tax” policy was then modified – in September of 2020 – to collect the tax directly from the property owners.

The property owners are required to register with the Treasurer’s Office, and must calculate, collect, and remit the tax per guest stay to the Warren County Treasurer. Penalties of up to 5% plus interest can be imposed for late payment or non-payment under the Warren County Occupancy Tax Law. For more information, visit Warrencountyny.gov or call Treasurer Mike Swan at (518) 761-6379.

On Sunday, January 15, 2023, the City of Glens Falls honored Martin Luther King Jr. This event began at City Hall, and was led by Reverend Oats, Ward 5 Councilwoman Mary Gooden, and Mayor Collins. Community members then walked arm in arm over to Christ Church United Methodist. 

This event was also attended by Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, Council at Large Jim Clark, Ward 2 Councilman Ed Donahue, Bob Driscoll, and Queensbury Supervisor John Strough. 

The program at Christ Church United Methodist included presentations by students from Glens Falls, Hudson Falls, and Queensbury School Districts. Presentations were also made by the Temple Synagogue Religious School, in conjunction with Temple Beth El.

This 2023 celebration commemorates the 40th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday – the legislation had originally been introduced in Congress in 1968, but opponents blocked its passage, leading to its reintroduction and successful passage in 1983; however, the first nationwide observance of the holiday did not take place until 1986. This holiday honors the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr. and is celebrated with marches, parades, and speeches by civil rights and political leaders. 

The City of Glens Falls has had three armed robberies within a 36-hour period, and the Glens Falls Police Department is asking the public to remain vigilant; it is unknown if the incidents are unrelated, or if the same suspect is involved. The public is being asked to call Glens Falls Police Department if they see anyone looking suspicious. 

The first two incidents were reported to the Glens Falls Police department on January 10th, at approximately 11:30 PM… Both occurred in the same area of Larose Street and Broad Street. The suspect was described as wearing black-colored clothing and a black-colored face mask, and they reportedly walked up to victims, pointing a handgun and demanding money. The suspect did obtain a small amount of money before leaving the area on foot. 

The third incident was reported to the Glens Falls Police Department on January 12th, around 1:05 AM… This incident took place at the intersection of Bay Street and Union Street. This suspect was described as wearing black-colored clothing as well, but with a red-colored face mask. The suspect walked up to the victims, pointed a handgun and demanded money; however, this time, the suspect left the area without obtaining any money. 

The suspect(s) is described as being about 5’ 7” in height, with a skinny build, wearing all black clothes, a face-mask and having a red backpack.  All three incidents are being classified as “Attempted Armed Robberies”.

The Glens Falls Police Department is also asking for the assistance of anyone who lives in these areas to check their web cameras and security video equipment and to notify police if anything is found. If you have any information, please contact The Glens Falls Police at (518) 761-3840.