FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the proposed change in county government?

Currently, Columbia County is governed solely by the Board of Supervisors, a part-time legislative body comprised of Town Supervisors. Supervisors divide their time between family, day jobs, managing their towns, and serving on the Board. 

Only four counties out of 62 in New York State are still governed solely by a Board, with Columbia County being the largest of the four. Every other county in NYS has either a full-time, elected County Executive or a County Manager/Administrator. This means every county in the Hudson Valley and Capital District has a full-time leader overseeing their county, except Columbia County, putting us at a distinct disadvantage. 

On November 4, 2025, Columbia County voters will decide whether to adopt an alternative form of government in a referendum to create an elected, full-time County Executive (known legally as a “County President”). If successful, the County Executive election will occur in 2026, and our new Executive will take office on January 1, 2027.

An elected, full-time County Executive will bring strong, accountable leadership to our local government. Our County Executive will be elected by all Columbia County voters, not just from a specific town. This gives them the unique ability to see the big picture and make decisions that serve the entire county. They will be expected to be a visible, public-facing leader: attending events, holding regular town halls, and engaging directly with residents. The buck stops with them.

As the full-time administrative head of county government, the County Executive will have the authority to review operations across all departments, identify inefficiencies, eliminate redundancies, and find opportunities for real cost savings. This kind of oversight ensures taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and services are delivered effectively. Because they will be directly responsible to voters, government will also be more transparent and responsive to the needs of the people.

Columbia County has a nearly $200 million budget, and we need a full-time leader to manage it responsibly. As the chief budget officer, the County Executive will propose the county's annual budget and, once approved by the Board of Supervisors, implement it. The County Executive will track spending, identify unnecessary expenses, and invest in areas that improve residents’ quality of life. Part of this work includes rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse to ensure that county government operates efficiently and honestly. When Ulster County made this change, the new County Executive reduced the budget by $33 million and lowered property taxes.

Beyond managing finances and operations, the County Executive will also serve as our advocate, both at home and beyond. They will fight to get money owed to the county by state and federal governments and actively pursue grants and new funding opportunities. They will also work to build strong relationships with other elected leaders across all levels of government, ensuring our county has a voice at the table in important regional and statewide decisions.

Our County Executive will take a lead role in shaping the county’s future. They will focus on expanding economic development, attracting new businesses, creating jobs, and making the county a better place to live and work. They will advocate for stronger county services, lower taxes and fees, and a government that listens, acts, and delivers. In short, our County Executive will be a leader who connects the people to their government and who works every day to make our county government stronger, smarter, and more successful.

What is a County Executive?

Currently, Columbia County is governed solely by the Board of Supervisors, a part-time legislative body, comprised of 23 Supervisors. Supervisors typically divide their time between family, day jobs, managing their towns, and serving on the Board. The average time for a full Board monthly meeting in 2024 was less than 30 minutes, with some meetings as short as five minutes and six seconds long. 

The Board is governed by a weighted-vote system, meaning larger towns have more say in county decisions. Out of 200 “votes,” Kinderhook, for example, has 26 votes, but a Hudson Supervisor only has 3.8. As few as six Supervisors can create a majority to pass legislation and make county-wide decisions. 

Our county has a budget of nearly $200 million, supervised part-time by the Chairman of the Board, Stockport’s Town Supervisor. The Chairman’s role is “part-time,” meaning no individual works full-time to manage or oversee county governance. The Chairman was not selected by voters; rather, he was installed by politicians, bypassing direct public accountability.

The Board’s decision-making processes are very opaque, making it harder to pinpoint responsibility for bad decisions, like the controversial purchase of 11 Warren Street in Hudson, which amounted to a missed opportunity for affordable housing and tax revenue.

All but four of NYS’s 62 counties adopted a different form of government because they found the Board of Supervisors-only model to be inadequate and inefficient.

What is the Board of Supervisors?

How will this affect the Board of Supervisors and help our towns?

The Board of Supervisors will continue to serve as the county's legislative body and partner with the County Executive in governing Columbia County. Its responsibilities include, in part, approving the proposed budget, enacting local laws, and confirming nominees for county positions. If the County Executive vetoes an action taken by the Board, they have the power to override it.

Managing a town is a lot of work. With a full-time County Executive overseeing daily county operations and serving as a partner to the Board, Supervisors can concentrate on their towns while also participating meaningfully in broader legislative decisions without being stretched too thin. This arrangement creates checks and balances, enhances efficiency, and makes county and town governments more responsive and effective.

The County Executive referendum does not create a “county legislature.” To do so would require the Board of Supervisors to take action, and there is no reason to believe that our Board would eliminate itself to establish a county legislature. Our Town Supervisors will continue representing their towns and serving part-time on the Board, and the new County Executive will work with them to govern Columbia County.

Why is a full-time, elected County Executive necessary?

Columbia County is one of only a handful of counties that raised taxes and fees in 2025. We shouldn’t be paying more and getting less when our neighboring counties are thriving. We’re missing out on grants because we are not applying for them. We’re missing out on state and federal money that we are owed because we are not asking for it. An elected, full-time County Executive will provide clear leadership, accountability, and professional management, ensuring the county’s needs are met.

Our current form of government lacks vision and a comprehensive plan for the future. Sales tax revenues are declining, yet no strategy has been proposed to address the shortfall. Taxes continue to rise amid an affordability crisis gripping the county, with no solution offered.

Our population is shrinking, but there is no initiative to attract new residents. Schools are facing declining enrollment as families are priced out of the area, yet no action is being taken. Our community college is laying off workers, and our hospital is struggling, cutting services and staff, while leadership offers no plan to turn things around.

No business with a $200 million budget would operate without a full-time CEO and county government shouldn’t either. This necessary change isn’t a partisan issue; it’s good governance. Fifty-three counties out of 57 counties outside of NYC, most led by Republicans, arrived at the same conclusion: a full-time leader at the top makes government work better, more efficiently, and saves taxpayer money.

The Board of Supervisors-only model of government is failing. Columbia County deserves better.

How does Columbia County compare to other NYS counties?

Every other county in the Hudson Valley and Capital District has either an elected County Executive or a full-time Administrator. Columbia County remains an outlier, managing a nearly $200 million budget with part-time leadership. Of the four counties in NYS with our antiquated, eighteenth-century form of government, we are the largest by thousands in population and millions by budget. All four of these counties raised taxes in 2025. 

Hamilton County, which has a smaller population than the Town of Ghent, is one of the other three remaining counties with a Board of Supervisors-only model of government. Columbia County is 92% larger in population, 85% larger in budget, and has significantly different needs. 

In 2012, Montgomery County, which is more comparable in size and budget, transitioned from a Board-only model to an elected, full-time County Executive. Similarly, in 2006, Ulster County adopted an elected, full-time County Executive. Dutchess County embraced this change in 1967, while Greene County left the Board-only model for a full-time Administrator in the early 1980s. 

When Ulster County made this change, the new County Executive reduced the budget by $33 million and lowered property taxes. Columbia County’s system of government is archaic and obsolete, and it’s time to move the county forward.

How will a County Executive impact our relationships with other elected officials?

A County Executive serves as the county’s chief representative and advocate, playing a vital role in strengthening relationships with state and federal officials, as well as with business and community leaders. By providing a clear and consistent voice for Columbia County, the County Executive can elevate our priorities, secure funding opportunities, and attract investments in infrastructure, economic development, and public services.

This leadership role also allows the County Executive to coordinate with Supervisors and Town Board members across the county, ensuring that both county-wide and local concerns are heard and addressed. Whether it's advocating for a specific town’s needs or pushing forward regional initiatives, the County Executive can use their position to draw attention to our challenges and work toward effective solutions.

Ultimately, the County Executive will be a proactive champion for Columbia County, building strategic partnerships, opening doors to new opportunities, and ensuring that the voices of our residents and communities are represented at every level of government.

How will a County Executive save Columbia County money?

According to the NYS Comptroller’s Office, Columbia County’s full-value tax rate in 2024 was higher than that of our neighboring counties, Greene, Dutchess, Ulster, and Albany, which lowered taxes or kept them flat in 2025. As for Columbia County’s taxes and fees? They increased. A full-time, elected County Executive can change that.

Unlike the outdated Board of Supervisors-only model, a County Executive brings centralized leadership, modern management, and direct accountability to ensure tax dollars are spent wisely on services that benefit residents. With stronger financial oversight, having a County Executive reduces the risk of fraud, mismanagement, and unnecessary tax increases. Modernized systems and better resource allocation also boost productivity and cut costs. Our County Executive will also champion Columbia County, encouraging businesses to make investments here, bringing with them good-paying jobs and new families, expanding the tax base, and reducing individual tax burdens.

The potential savings aren’t just theoretical. When Ulster County adopted the County Executive model, its Executive cut $33 million from the budget and reduced property taxes. That’s real money back in residents’ pockets. Having a County Executive is an investment in smarter government, stronger accountability, and a more affordable future for everyone in Columbia County.

How much will this cost?

A major responsibility of our County Executive will be to obtain grants and secure state and federal funds that are owed to our county. Columbia County misses out on millions of dollars in grant funds every year because we do not apply. Several counties in NYS received millions from one grant program for expanding access to broadband, including Sullivan and Schoharie Counties, each receiving approximately $30 million. Columbia County was eligible, but did not apply.

Our County Executive should have a salary comparable to that of our full-time, elected County Clerk. If the DMV requires full-time leadership, why wouldn’t county government, with a budget of nearly $200 million, require the same? Consolidating administrative duties, streamlining management, improving coordination across departments, and setting the salary for this new role to align with similar county-wide elected officials will yield net cost savings and strengthen the county's overall performance. 

When Ulster County made this change, the new County Executive was able to reduce the budget by $33 million and lower property taxes. Having a full-time person at the helm will bring in more investments, make our government work smarter, and save tax dollars.

How would an elected County Executive improve accountability?

Voters should determine who leads our county, not politicians. An elected County Executive would serve as the county’s central leader and be directly accountable to voters. Unlike our current form of government, where authority is spread among multiple part-time officials, a single, full-time, elected Executive would oversee operations, implement policies, and advocate for town and county-wide priorities. The Board of Supervisors’ decision-making processes are very opaque, making it harder to pinpoint responsibility for bad decisions, like the controversial and expensive purchase of 11 Warren Street in Hudson, which amounted to a missed opportunity for affordable housing and tax revenue.

What are the long-term benefits of having a full-time, elected County Executive?

County Executives often campaign on platforms with specific priorities, such as economic development, lowering taxes and fees, environmental initiatives, or improved public services. Once elected, they have the mandate and authority to drive long-term projects and policies, providing continuity and vision that are hard to achieve in our current, decentralized form of government. 

What are the advantages of having a full-time leader of Columbia County?

The County Executive has the authority to oversee the day-to-day operations of the county and implement policies. This can reduce delays and inefficiencies that are occurring under our Board of Supervisors-only model of government. County Executives bring a professional approach to governance, focusing on fiscal responsibility, strategic planning, and operational efficiency. Unlike Town Supervisors, who balance multiple responsibilities, a full-time County Executive can focus on administration and results. Voters get to choose which type of background, experience, and skills they value and want to see in their Executive. Voters should determine who leads our county, not politicians. 

When will the change take effect?

When the referendum passes on November 4, 2025, the first County Executive election will be held in 2026, and the elected Executive will take office on January 1, 2027. 

For more information or to stay updated about this important initiative, please email columbiacountyforward@gmail.com