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A majority of New York’s 62 counties are led by an elected county executive, administrator or manager. Only a few are governed by a board of town supervisors.
In Columbia County right now, 18 town supervisors and five Hudson city supervisors serve as the county’s primary governing body.
“There are a lot of checks and balances with our system,” said Matt Murell, Stockport’s town supervisor, who serves as the Columbia County Board of Supervisors chairman.
The Republican recently learned of a petition circulating around the county that calls for an overhaul of the current form of government, opting for the more common form of electing a county executive.
“It’s purely a Democratic initiative,” he said. “There was no discussion with the Republican side of the aisle.”
A county executive would lead county departments and have the power to veto decisions by the county’s Board of Supervisors.
“I think it’s about political control,” said Murell. “I think the Democratic committee feels if they can push and get a county executive, that they control jobs and the money and so on.”
The petition claims the county’s Board of Supervisors is antiquated and is inefficiently serving its constituents, highlighting increased taxes and fees in 2025 and reduced funding for services, including some provided by the county’s Office for the Aging.
“We expect that taxes would decrease. We’d have expanded access to services here in the county, and the county executive could also lead efforts to bring in more state and federal funding,” said Abbie Hodgson, a Taghkanic resident.
Hodgson is part of the volunteer effort behind the petition, coined “Columbia County Forward.” According to its website, the efforts are funded by the Columbia County Democratic Committee.
“We have collected over 1,000 signatures in the past couple of weeks,” she said. “People have been really open and eager to hearing more and open to getting involved.”
Murell disputes most of what’s included in the petition, noting that in 2025, the county will spend more than 4% than it did in 2024.
“We didn’t cut the Office of the Aging. Actually, it increased by $76,000, their budget for 2025,” he explained. “And over a 10-year period, since I’ve been chairman, we’ve cut our tax rates by 25.6%.”
The petition requires 5,000 signatures and approval by voters in November. An election for county executive would take place the following year.
Advocates, like Hodgson, are optimistic.
“We simply believe that all voters in Columbia County should have the opportunity to vote for and elect their leadership and the person who is making those policy decisions,” she said.
