The State of The City of Glens Falls

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.