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Citizens in Catskill gathering signatures to overturn town board vote

Feb 09, 2022 2:02 pm

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in the Times Union that a group of residents in the Town of Catskill are attempting to overturn the Town Board decision prohibiting cannabis lounges there. Catskill's Town Board voted 3-1 on Dec. 29 to opt out of allowing cannabis lounges, while allowingdispensaries. Residents challenging the decision get to directly vote on whether to permit the cannabis facilities if enough they gather enough signatures for a referendum. Sara Pickens Verdon is organizing the effort to overturn the decision. "It's more than just the revenue (from cannabis), it's about bringing people to our shopping areas all around the town ... Catskill has a lot to offer — we're not trying to be a destination for cafes or dispensaries, but we're trying to add another aspect to the town," Verdon said. The citizens need signatures from 20 percent of registered voters in the town by Feb. 15 to force the referendum on the November ballot. So far they have about 300 of the 426 signatures needed, according to Verdon. Read more about this story in the Times Union.