Hello Hudsonians,

Did you think we would pack up and go away just because the previous mayor was removed? Think again.

While the faces at City Hall have changed, the work of keeping Hudson rational, solvent, and accountable to taxpayers is just beginning.

Surviving the Freeze & Fixing the Revenue Leak: 

Hudson survived a major cold snap this month, demonstrating that Mayor Joe Ferris and his team can rally during a crisis. We commend DPW for their tireless work; the snow removal was largely prompt and effective, keeping our streets clear when we needed it most. However, the ice wasn’t the only thing slippery. The new administration was left to deal with the previous administration’s disastrous parking kiosk legacy, the confusion of which unfolded right in the midst of this arctic freeze.

Protect and Serve... the Budget?

Who says the police are only here to investigate crimes? Apparently, they are also here to find the missing money. A major hat tip to Chief Franklin and HPD for taking over the parking management system and handling it in stride. The results speak for themselves: in just their first quarter managing it, HPD has collected six figures of revenue more than the previous year's same quarter.

Competence, it turns out, pays for itself. It leaves us wondering just how much revenue was left on the table during the six years former Mayor Kamal was in charge. Is this the sort of efficiency and competence we can expect more of when Hudson moves to a City Manager / Council configuration? If so, let’s go!

Guest Op-Ed: A Shared Future?

In our latest Guest Op-Ed, subscriber and long-time resident David Giroux asks a uncommon, common sense question, one that is vital in a time of strained budgets and overlapping communities. If Hudson and Greenport already share some services (and pay each other for those services) when it comes to public safety and select public works, why not integrate the two interconnected entities more?

• Read the thoughtful and common sense Guest Op-Ed here.

The Ferris Administration: Local Competence > National Politics
We are watching the new administration closely. Mayor Ferris is slowly winning over allies by appointing competent professionals to the Planning Board and hiring former Mayor Tiffany Martin as his mayoral aide. This move brings decades of experience and deep relationships back to City Hall. We also commend him for following through on a campaign promise to hold Town Halls in every ward. One of our editors attended the session in Bliss Towers, which was well attended and cautiously optimistic with direct and sincere Q&A with dozens of residents participating. It felt like a genuine moment of "moving forward together" built on baby steps of trust.

However, a few weeks ago Mayor Ferris quickly reminded us that he is, after all, a Democrat who spent time in the not-for-profit Albany world. Seemingly cajoled by the “Columbia County Sanctuary Movement”, a multi-million dollar lobbying outfit, the Mayor stepped out of his mayor-zone with an Op-Ed weighing in on the highly politicized and national Homeland Security and immigration debate. While the Mayor is entitled to his own opinion and politics, he risks alienating some residents and distracting the town with heated national issues that are not within his, or our, area of control.

Designating the City of Hudson a "proud sanctuary" provides no tangible benefit for our immigrant community. In practice, nothing changes: the Hudson Police Department has not proactively cooperated with DHS since 2017, following a local ordinance passed by then Mayor Martin. A silent policy is one thing, but "vocal signaling" is a questionable provocation. Furthermore, the City does not operate a jail that could be directed to withhold cooperation from ICE. So this is all signaling.

While the gesture is symbolic, it carries significant risks:

• Financial Vulnerability: It jeopardizes federal funding at a precarious moment for the Hudson Housing Authority (HHA) ahead of their much needed re-development, much of which requires federal funding. It also potentially limits much needed federal funding for HPD equipment and City of Hudson mandated training.

• Targeted Enforcement: Critics argue this designation places a "bullseye" on our city, potentially inviting more pro-active ICE enforcement activity. This endangers everyone, private citizens, lawful immigrants, and non-citizens who have overstayed visas (a civil violation).

• See more of our Gossips commentary on the topic here.

We urge the Mayor to maintain the "pragmatic" progressive stance he campaigned on by focusing on the specific issues over which he and the Common Council have direct control or significant influence. Until Hudson successfully addresses fundamental infrastructure issues such as functional sidewalks, fixing the Welcome Stranger Tax with a every other year city-wide tax re-assessment, and even implementing a reliable City Hall newsletter and other campaign promises, we should leave federal matters to our state and national representatives. These officials are specifically tasked with, and compensated for, the responsibility of national oversight and budgeting.

Editorial: The Semantic Treadmill
In our latest Editorial, The Semantic Treadmill: How Hudson’s Language Inflation is Eroding our Shared Reality, we explore the shifting landscape of modern discourse. The piece examines how the "inflation" of certain terms and the constant shifting of definitions make it harder for us to maintain a cohesive, shared understanding of the world around us.

What’s Next?

(Yes, Matt Murrel, we have not forgotten about you, sir.) We will continue our monthly Guest Op-Ed and our bi-weekly opinion and satire pieces. While the former mayor and Common Council president are gone, Hudson now has to fix their mess, navigate the difficult HHA/Bliss Tower transition, and address the failing HCSD. We also must look closely at the Galvan / Bard gift and its second and third order effects and opportunities. Not to mention the decades overdue Charter Reform push spearheaded by the Common Council President.

Friendly Reminder of our Election Scorecard, see who in the County and City received the most votes, and who ran unopposed. Heather Campbell and Margaret Morris each received 1500+ city-wide votes, compared to Joe Ferris’ ~950. And Henry Haddad received the most votes of all Common Council members (not including the President) and Mohamed Rony the least.

Coming Soon: A Positive "Ideas" Section Common Sense isn't just about pointing out what’s wrong; it’s about figuring out how to get it right. We are updating our Ideas section to focus on proactive, positive solutions for the city.

Stay warm, stay sensible,

The Editors and Contributors

P.S. Election Season Favorites from last year: In case you missed the heat of the race last year, we’ve archived our most impactful reports and analysis from the cycle.

• Open Letter: Dear Mayor Johnson, Sharing is Caring

• The FOIL Files #2: Driven to Excess

• Residents Only: Hudson’s (City Hall) Mic, Hudson’s People

• Satire (The Shallot): Special Report: Adults from The City of Bard visit Students from Hudson College