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Mayor touts business openings, CDA grant wins and sound city finances
Summary
Mayor listed eight 2025 grand openings, welcomed an Orange County Chamber satellite office, credited the Community Development Agency with securing grants including $825,000 for a fire apparatus and said investments in the NYCLAS program returned about $100,000 annually as the city remained under the state tax cap.
The mayor highlighted recent private-sector and civic developments, saying 2025 saw eight grand openings across retail and services and that De Marino's cannabis dispensary has a 2026 opening scheduled. "2025 saw a total of 8 grand openings... These businesses are all open and operating today," the mayor said.
He welcomed the Orange County Chamber of Commerce's new satellite office and noted a ribbon-cutting on Jan. 28. The mayor also credited the Community Development Agency (CDA), led by Valerie Boginski, with securing multiple funding awards and assisting developers and small businesses. Among items the mayor credited the CDA with, he said the city resecured $825,000 through Congressman Pat Ryan's office for a new fire apparatus and secured $530,000 through FEMA for SCBA replacement.
On the city's finances, the mayor said the clerk treasurer's office invested in the NYCLAS program and that the returns were "around $100,000 annually," and that the city remained under the New York State tax cap while maintaining net positive cash flow. "Investments like the NYCLAS program show our finances are sound and we were able to stay under the New York State tax cap," the mayor said.
The address included other economic and planning items the CDA is pursuing, such as state grant programs, a potential Fowler and 4th Street pedestrian walkway and resubmission to a bridge funding program in 2026 after the state ran out of money last cycle.
