By JEANETTE WOLFBERG
HUDSON – Outgoing Columbia County supervisors and employees received thanks for their service at the county Board of Supervisors full board year end meeting December 27, 2023.
Board Chairman Matt Murell (Stockport) presented tokens of appreciation to departing supervisors Jeanne Mettler of Copake, Chris Kersten of Hillsdale, and Arthur Bassin of Ancram. Ms. Mettler had served as town supervisor since 2020, Mr. Kersten since 2020, and Mr. Bassin – the longest – since 2010.
Supervisors Tistrya Houghtling (New Lebanon) and Ron Knott (Stuyvesant) echoed the thanks and gratitude. Mr. Knott recalled that Mr. Bassin “did a great job,” showing him how to proceed in certain situations, when he (Mr. Knott) was a new supervisor.
Ms. Mettler herself thanked her colleagues for working with her and asked them to welcome her successor, Richard Wolf, who sat in the audience. Mr. Wolf was Deputy Supervisor of Copake.
Chairman Murell also recognized and thanked Judy Bender, the county’s departing deputy director of Real Property, for her long service, including 19 years in that department.
Supervisor Houghtling also recognized Jolene Race, director of Solid Waste, who stepped down at the end of the year, to be replaced by Wendy Madsen, who was her assistant.
Also at the meeting:
•The supervisors held a public hearing on a local law specifying the salaries of certain county officials and quickly approved the law (see sidebar)
•Several Board committees held quick meetings to send relevant resolutions to the Finance Committee, which then held its own quick meeting to send resolutions to the full board. The full board then approved all 13 resolutions before it.
About half of the resolutions involved tax and budget technicalities. However, one authorized the Sheriff’s Office to create a Community Liaison position, one authorized the Sheriff to purchase three vehicles, and one authorized the “Chairman to execute all necessary documents and agreements” related to “terminal upgrades” at the county airport.
On January 2, 2024, the supervisors held an organizational meeting where they appointed officials for the year and heard Mr. Murell’s State of the County address (separate article).
SALARIES OF COLUMBIA COUNTY OFFICIALS FOR 2024
Approved by County Board of Supervisors December 27, 2023
Sheriff: $133,673
County Treasurer: $87,550
County Clerk: $87,550
Director of Real Property Services: $86,520
Coroners: $24,250 each
Board of Supervisors
Chairman: $34,000
Deputy Chairmen (2): $21,000 each
Majority Leader: $21,000
Minority Leader: $21,000
Other Supervisors (18): $17,000
Note – for 2023, the supervisors’ salaries were: chairman, $31,000; deputy chairmen and majority and minority leaders, $19,000 each; other supervisors, $16,000 each.
