Labas: Outlook is bright for Granville village

You are currently viewing Labas: Outlook is bright for Granville village
Mayor Paul Labas

By Paul Labas

As Mayor, I try to provide an update each year concerning matters in the village. While 2021 has provided its fair share of challenges, I am glad to report that the village is doing well overall, and that the outlook for 2022 is bright.

In 2021, the village saw the following accomplishments:

*We worked with NYS to complete the repaving of NYS 149 throughout the entirety of the village, except for Main Street, which is scheduled to be completed in the spring.

*We worked with Washington County, NYSEG, Verizon and the contractors on site to complete the Church Street Bridge replacement. While this project was delayed due to some issues seen with the utilities, the new bridge opened to traffic on Dec. 23.

*The village completed the upgrade of all streetlights to LED technology, which has resulted in better light quality, and a greater than 50% reduction in costs to the taxpayer.

*The village’s fiscal health continued to improve, as evidenced by small surpluses seen in the General (and) Water & Sewer Funds for the fiscal year ending on May 31. Our fiscal stress score declined from 27.1 to 20.4, and based upon our most recent financial reports filed, it will decrease further – to 14.2 in February. By May 31, 2022, it is hoped that the village’s fiscal stress score will be 6.5 or less, and there is a possibility that it will fall to zero at that time.

*The tax increase seen in the 2021-22 budget was the lowest seen in years at 0.47%.  There were no increases in water or sewer rents for 2021-22. For the 2022-23 budget cycle, I am pleased to announce that our target will be a 0% increase across all Funds – this would mean no tax increase, no water rent increase, and no sewer rent increase. This has not happened in the village in the last 25 years.

*The village purchased a new one-ton plow truck and sander, which operates much more efficiently than the aged unit that was retired. Early results with the truck have been very favorable – and we are seeing a nice reduction in the amount of salt required to maintain the streets. This should be better for the environment and represent another savings for taxpayers.

*The village has also purchased a new skid steer that will aid with street clean-up after storms. The  village purchased a used bucket truck this summer. A new zero-turn lawn mower was also procured through NYS contract to aid in maintaining our parks and facilities. This new equipment will aid the Department of Public Works in maintaining our village efficiently and provide for better care of our streets and facilities in the coming years.

*The village maintained and expanded our holiday decorating program in 2021. We renewed our contract with Great Meadow Federal Credit Union for three years, maintained Veterans Park, Main Street and all locations. We also added Stewarts’ Shops and Cumberland Farms to the fold. The holiday decorations are a source of pride for our community, and we hope that they continue to bring people to town as well. 

*We were able to collaborate with our partners in the Chamber of Commerce, civic organizations and business community to bring back the Summer Concert Series, tree lighting ceremony, and lighted tractor parade, all as in-person events. All were well-attended and appreciated by the community.

*The Village Board moved to opt into NYS’s cannabis legislation. This will allow for retail sales of marijuana through dispensaries regulated by NYS within the village limits. The village will see revenues equivalent to 3% of gross sales if a dispensary locates locally. While this is a controversial subject for some, the board saw this as a step that could allow for additional business development on the Main Street, as well as an additional revenue stream that should serve to keep tax increases smaller or non-existent in future years.

What is new for 2022?  The village is poised to see many good things in the coming year. NYS will be repaving Main Street in the spring and installing upgrades to the sidewalks that provide for greater handicap accessibility.

We intend to replace the sidewalks on Quaker Street from TD Bank to the Elementary School sometime in the spring.

The board will be ratifying a new collective bargaining agreement with the Police Benevolent Association that provides for better pay and benefits – we are hopeful that this will aid in our recruitment of new police officers.

Finally, it is expected that the board will be working with the department heads to assess needs throughout the village that can be addressed through application of our funding through the American Rescue Plan (ARPA). This funding totaled $250,000 and is expected to be invested in a variety of broad-based projects to benefit our community. 

Long and short, the State of the Village as we enter 2022 is strong – and improving. We will continue to work to serve you well, and to focus on projects that improve quality of life for residents and maintaining public safety. We will also continue to build on cultural and recreational opportunities and support projects and ideas that make our community better.

Thank you for your support of Granville. Best wishes from my office for a happy, safe and prosperous New Year. If the village can be of service, please do not hesitate to contact us at your convenience.

Thank you all for your support and I wish you all a healthy and prosperous year in 2022. I love this village and its people. I love working with you all to keep it strong and welcoming for all to see the beautiful things we have to share with our rich heritage and  history.

We can’t fail while working together, and the goodness of the people that work at making our home town a place an example of what small town America is will last for generations to come. God bless you all and thank you for believing in what we can be as an example to all small villages across this state.