Jimmy Vielkind is reporting at Capitol Confidential Coxsackie, Hudson and Prattsville are three of nearly 400 cities, towns and villages can apply for assistance from a new state panel convened to address a wave of municipal fiscal stress, officials said Mon., Sept. 23. The Fiscal Restructuring Board will offer a blueprint for cash-strapped localities, and up to $5 million in state loans or grants if they agree to implement it. Years of population loss and the erosion of traditional industrial bases has left many Upstate cities struggling, and a spike in required pension costs prompted by the 2008 stock market crash has pushed many to the brink. Any municipality may apply for help, but the 389 automatically eligible municipalities were selected by a measure of their relative property tax rates and whether they’ve dipped into their reserve funds. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.