Essex County Board of Supervisors Passes a Resolution to Amend State Law Regarding the Distribution of Occupancy Taxes
Towns in Essex County receive 5% of the occupancy taxes collected from hotels, motels, and short-term rentals, and the remainder goes to the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST). This is mandated in state law. In August, the Essex County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution to ask the NYS Legislature to amend the law. They argued that it is illegal and improper that the law designates only one vendor for tourism and development services (ROOST). Essex County is the only county in New York state that is mandated to contract for their tourism and development services from a particular vendor.
The amendment asks that the occupancy tax monies be deposited in the General Fund of the County. The monies then would be used at the discretion of the County Legislature (the Board of Supervisors) for the purposes of tourism and economic development. In addition, it asks that the County be allowed to retain 10% of the revenue for the purpose of offsetting the costs of administering the remaining 90% of the occupancy tax revenue. The occupancy taxes constitute a substantial amount of money. Revenues went from $2,868,655.00 in 2018 to $7,097,074.00 in 2024.
The resolution was passed by a vote of 14 to 4. North Elba Town Supervisor, Derek Doty, was one of the four who voted against the resolution. According to the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, he is concerned that if the taxes go to the General Fund, Towns like his that generate a large portion of the taxes would not get an equitable share.
Unfortunately, with Billy Jones' resignation, Essex County no longer has a representative in the State Assembly. However, if you have an opinion about this resolution, you can contact Senator Dan Stec. His contact information is on our website here.
Supervisor Favor Smith Will Not Run for Re-Election
Supervisor Smith announced at the August meeting of the Essex County Board of Supervisors that he will be stepping down and will not seek re-election. It is too late for his name to be taken off the ballot, so it will still appear on the ballots voters see in November. According to the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, his reasons for stepping down were “recent deaths in the family and life circumstances.” The Essex County Republican Committee is looking for a new candidate, and voters will need to write the name of that candidate on the ballot if they want to vote for him or her.
Funding for Our Libraries Is in Danger
The Trump Administration has placed the employees of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) on leave in an attempt to eliminate the Institute. The New York State Library receives $8.1 million from the IMLS, which they use to support New York's 7000 public libraries. The loss of these funds will affect all of New York's 72 library systems, including Clinton-Essex-Franklin and its member libraries. The services supported by the IMLS include technology classes for people seeking jobs and library delivery for older Americans. It also provides grants to support special library programs, as well as basic library operations. Funding for libraries comprises less than 0.003% of the federal budget, but is critically important for libraries.
Several states, including New York, have filed a lawsuit aimed at stopping the elimination of the IMLS; however, citizens need to get involved as well. Please read this information on the American Library Association's website to learn what you can do to help stop this action and preserve all of the current services at the E.M. Cooper Library and our other local libraries.
A New Program to Convert Short-Term Rentals to Long-Term Rentals
On January 1, 2025 Adirondack Roots, AdkAction, and LivingADK launched a program to convert short-term rentals to long-term rentals. This is an effort to increase affordable housing in the ADKs. The program is supported through $20,000 in grants from the Adirondack Foundation and the Hudson Headwaters Upstream Fund and also from "individual supporters." Preference will be given to landlords with rental units in Elizabethtown and surrounding towns, but the program may be expanded in the future.
The program will provide $2000 (one time only) to STR owners who convert their properties to long-term rentals. It will also provide educational resources and one-on-one support to help with the conversion to a long-term rental. Some STR owners find that operating an STR costs more in time, money, and energy than they expected. Benefits to STR owners include a steady and predictable source of income. Also, long-tern rentals can cost less to operate because renters pay the utilities. For more information about housing related issues, check out our new Housing page here.
Wilmington No Longer Has a NY State Trooper Based Part-Time in Wilmington
Approximately 12 months ago, Wilmington lost the NY State Trooper based part-time in Wilmington. According to the State Police, there is a State Trooper assigned to Wilmington, but that Trooper is based in Ray Brook. The substation in Wilmington is now used for administrative purposes. Two Wilmington residents, Jon and Kate Hensley, are concerned about this and have started a petition to ask that the station again be manned part-time. If you would like to sign the petition, you can email Jon at jonz67ss@gmail.com. You can view a copy of the petition here.