Background/NY State Town Board Definition
The legislative authority of a town rests in its town board, which is the governing board of the town. Town Board members are elected to 4-year terms.
The town board, among other functions:
- Generally fills vacancies in town offices, elective or appointive
- May select a town attorney and a town engineer
- Appoints constables or police officers
- Provides for the hiring of other employees as necessary for the conduct of the town’s business.
The town board adopts a budget, fixes the salaries of officers and employees, establishes rules of board procedure and designates the official newspaper of the town. Other functions are so numerous that only a sample can be given here. The town board may provide for the construction of drainage flood control facilities; provide for towers to be built, at the request of the Department of Environmental Conservation, to watch for forest fires; buy and install traffic control equipment; provide for feeding deer; provide for certain public health services; establish a publicity fund; regulate certain dangerous conditions; sponsor band concerts; compromise or settle claims; call
special town elections; license certain occupations; provide for town improvements; establish fire, fire alarm and fire protection districts; create improvement districts; and designate depositories for town moneys. The general powers of the town board are set forth primarily in Section 64 and other sections of the Town Law.
Most of the functions of the town board are set forth in the Town Law. However, some functions are set forth in other statutes such as the General Municipal Law, the Highway Law, the Education Law, the Agriculture and Markets Law, and the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law. In addition, town boards may adopt local laws pursuant to the home rule powers granted by Article 9 of the State Constitution and the Municipal Home Rule Law.
Meetings
Certain budget and organizational meetings are required by law (Town Law, Sections 62, 106 and 109). The law provides that at least one town meeting be held each month. Occasionally there will be a need for a special meeting. The supervisor may call a special meeting, and must give at least two days notice in writing to members of the board as to the place and time of the meeting. When two members of the board other than the supervisor request a special meeting in writing, the supervisor must, within 10 days of the request, call a special meeting, giving at least two days notice in writing.
The first meeting of each year is the Town Board Organizational meeting. See the section below, describing what typically takes place at an organizational meeting.
The agenda for each Saugerties Town Board meeting is made available on the Town of Saugerties website, with instructions for downloading/viewing the agenda, attending the meeting in person or via Webex if desired. This typically happens within 48 hours of each board meeting.
In 2025, the Saugerties Town Board meetings will continue to be run as follows: first, a "pre-board" meeting (6:30 p.m. start) followed by the regular Town Board meeting at 7:00 p.m. , at the Frank D. Greco Senior Center at 207 Market St. in Saugerties, NY
The Town Board meeting dates for 2025 are:
- Wednesday, January 8th (Organizational meeting. See page bottom for a definition of organizational meeting.)
- Wednesday, January 22nd
- Wednesday, February 12th
- Wednesday, March 5th
- Wednesday, March 19th
- Wednesday, April 2nd
- Wednesday, April 16th
- Wednesday, May 7th
- Wednesday, May 21st
- Wednesday, June 18th
- Wednesday, July 16th
- Wednesday, August 13th
- Wednesday, September 3rd
- Wednesday, September 17th
- Wednesday, October 1st
- Wednesday, October 15th
- Wednesday, November 5th
- Wednesday, November 19th
- Wednesday, December 10th
The above Town Board meetings are marked on the online calendar. The agenda for these meetings typically appears on the Town website within 28 hours of each Town Board meeting, on this Town Board agenda page. And minutes have been posted for a good number of years, on the Town Board minutes page.
Town offices will be closed on these dates in 2025:
- Wednesday, January 1, 2025 for the New Year’s Holiday
- Monday, January 20th for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- Monday, February 17th for Presidents Day
- Friday, April 18th for Good Friday
- Monday, May 26th for Memorial Day
- Thursday, June 19th for Juneteenth
- Friday, July 4th for Independence Day
- Monday, September 1st for Labor Day
- Wednesday, October 13th for Columbus Day
- Tuesday, November 4th for Election Day
- Tuesday, November 11th for Veterans' Day
- Thursday, November 27th for Thanksgiving Day
- Friday, November 28th for the day after Thanksgiving
- Thursday, December 25th for Christmas Day
- Thursday, January 1st, 2026 for New Years Day
These holidays/dates are marked on the online calendar.
Town Board meeting minutes for this year and previous years are available on the Town Board Meeting Minutes page.
Town Board Officials
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What is an organizational meeting?
An organizational meeting typically involves any Town government business normally carried out at a regular Town Board meeting (e.g. public comments, approval of last Town Board meeting's minutes, decisions regarding proposed salary changes, etc.), plus it kicks off the new year by:
- Making designations and appointments for the year (e.g. official newspaper(s) for the Town, official bank for the Town, attorney(s) for the Town, historian(s) for the Town, engineers for the Town, etc.)
- Scheduling Town Board meeting dates and the holiday schedule for when the Town Hall is closed
- Designations, settings of charges, and re-adoption of policies, as necessary or required by law.
- Assigning Town Board members as liaisons for the boards, committees, commissions and entities that require liaisons.
- Appointments of department superintendents/heads.
and any other matters that needs to be addressed before the start of the next fiscal year.