Nora Mishanec is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the village of Coxsackie has forgiven the water and sewer bills for its residents as a way to help those struggling as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The move comes as municipalities throughout the region are facing the impacts of reduced tax revenue and lost state funding. Village residents received a letter marked “paid” in lieu of a second-quarter bill, saving households an average of $150, Mayor Mark Evans said July 7. The relief plan was proposed in late May by village board member Joseph Ellis, a retired accountant. Village officials have received an outpouring of gratitude from the community in response to the bill forgiveness plan. The decision will result in a loss of $200,000 from the water and sewer funds, Evans said. However, prudent fiscal oversight of the funds during the last several years made the plan possible, officials said in a letter to residents. The mayor acknowledged that many village residents have been hit hard financially by the pandemic. “If we could do something to help, we thought this was a good way to do it,” Evans said. Coxsackie's decision to forgive the quarterly payment is unique; no other municipality in Columbia or Greene counties has taken similar action. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.