Warren County committee advances 3-2 occupancy-tax resolution to full board

A Warren County Board of Supervisors committee voted 3-2 to advance a resolution that would allocate $250,000 a year from occupancy-tax revenue for 10 years — totaling $2,500,000 — toward a sewer or related infrastructure project in Johnsburg, sending the measure to the full board for final action.

The proposal prompted questions about precedent and fiscal safeguards. Heather (staff member) told the committee that the county’s local law governing occupancy-tax collections, Local Law 5 of 2018, limits use to activities that “must be for purposes of promoting tourism and tourism activities within Warren County” but does not otherwise restrict how the Board spends occupancy-tax revenue. “The Board of Supervisors has absolutely no restrictions on how they spend any occupancy tax revenue,” Heather said during the discussion.

Committee members debated whether the award should be treated…