Hudson CFO outlines audit schedule, foreclosures list and tax software conversion

Heather, the city’s chief financial officer, told the Common Council at its informal May 12 meeting that the annual financial report has been filed with New York state and that auditors will begin intensive fieldwork the week of July 7.

“The next step is obviously getting auditors in,” Heather said. “I anticipate that we will have the audited financial statements no later than October 2025.”

Heather said the city is converting long‑outdated finance and tax collection software and expects the first phase — general ledger and tax collection — to be in place by mid‑2025. She described the legacy tax system used to generate the delinquent‑tax list as “literally so old” and said it crashed while staff were preparing the list for council review.

On delinquencies, Heather said an initial, unscreened pull shows 88 properties with outstanding taxes from 2024 or earlier totaling about $2,260,000 and roughly $827,000 in penalties. She emphasized that many accounts are small — 35 are under $100 and 20 are under $1,000 — while seven accounts exceed six figures and account for roughly 40% of the total owed.

Heather also reported an eviction date of July 9 for 98 Paddock Place, a long‑running foreclosure matter that has been delayed for years by bankruptcy proceedings and COVID‑era interruptions. She asked the council to expect a resolution next week to authorize steps to pursue foreclosure cases after staff finish scrubbing the list.

On software, Heather said the council previously approved funds to replace the tax‑collection package and that the city is mid‑conversion and doing data mapping. “We look like we’re on target for July 2025,” she said, while warning that utility billing conversion may slip later in the year.

Heather said improving reporting to the council is a priority once systems are stable, and that proceeds from collected penalties would be new revenue the city could use to help cash flow.

The informal meeting included several questions from council members and members of the public about timing, whether foreclosures were budgeted, and whether the mayor and corporation counsel had identified outside counsel to assist with collections. Heather said some funding exists in the 2025 budget for initial foreclosure work and that the mayor had directed corporation counsel to pursue outside counsel options.

Council members did not take a formal vote during the informal session; Heather said she would circulate the cleaned foreclosure list and proposed resolution ahead of the next formal meeting.