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Vote on Greene County Jail bond delayed
Jul 11, 2018 1:23 pm
Carly Miller reports in Columbia-Greene Media that Greene County legislators again pushed decision-making on the Greene County Jail issue down the road, tabling a measure for $39 million in bonds for a new jail at a meeting of the Public Safety Committee July 9. Legislators are discussing sharing a jail with Columbia County, where some jobs would be lost but taxes would not have to be raised, and spending more than any other construction project in Greene County history, with an inevitable tax increase, to build a jail in Coxsackie. The current jail, in Catskill, was listed among the five worst in the state, and was shut down April 20 on safety concerns. Currently, Greene County is sharing a jail with Ulster County. In May, the legislature did not vote on a bond resolution for $51.4 million that would cover some of the costs of a new 96-bed jail behind the Greene Correctional Facility off Route 9W in Coxsackie. With interest included, the cost of the jail would be much higher. Public Safety Committee Chairman William Lawrence (R-Cairo) on July 9 delayed the vote on the bond until the September committee meeting, but said the proposal could raise property taxes by $29 dollars per $100,000 of assessed home valuation. “The public is not aware, we have not done our homework, we consistently put out incorrect facts,” said Legislator Lori Torgersen (D-Windham) at the July 9 meeting. “What we’re talking about is $47.1 million plus interest and whether or not there’s a better way we can spend that money.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360.com.