Wbg. residents discuss concerns with Warren Co. CEO

WARRENSBURG | Residents of Warrensburg expressed their concerns regarding a variety of topics and inquired about potential solutions in a public meeting held Sept. 16 in the town firehouse with a top Warren County official. Topics raised in the 90-plus-minute meeting conducted by county administrator John Taflan included problems with short-term rentals, the inflation in real estate prices, drivers ignoring traffic laws, the lack of affordable housing, and inequitable sales tax revenue distribution to lo9cal towns. Taflan said this "listening session" in Warrensburg likely had the largest turnout for the three quarterly sessions he had held to date. During the meeting, local resident Ron Fein said that more and more investors have been buying up homes on his street to rent out on a short-term basis. He said that some of the renters were excessively noisy, particularly at night, and some of the short-term rentals were hosting 10 to 15 people, more than the homes could accommodate. "The Airbnb situation is becoming overwhelming," Fein said, noting that the pleasant "neighborhood" ambiance of Warrensburg was declining. Taflan replied that the county wasn't able to regulate short-term rentals, although it collects 4 percent occupancy tax, and that such rentals were subject to the jurisdiction of town governments. Warrensburg Supervisor Kevin Geraghty responded that the town has a short-term rental law that requires a license, which can be revoked if landlords don't limit occupancy to respective limits determined by the county. He said that the town's code enforcement officer, Jim Hull, was effective at making short-term rental landlords and their tenants adhere to local laws. "We have strict regulations…and if they are not followed, then you need to call in a complaint to the town," he said, noting if the town receives three complaints, a landlord's short-term rental license is revoked. "It's three strikes and you're out." A resident asked if Warrensburg had a law limiting the number of short-term rentals in town, and Geraghty answered that there wasn't one, but establishing a limit was now being considered by the town board. He added that there were now 134 permitted short-term rentals in town. HOUSING SHORTAGE DISCUSSED Resident Jesse McKeever said that investors buying homes for short-term rentals radically decreased the houses available for purchase and boosted the price of residences throughout town, making them too expensive for younger people and families who want to move to Warrensburg. He added that the lack of affordable housing, partially due to their use as short-term rentals, was reducing enrollment in local schools, threatening their very existence. "If you lose a school, you lose a community," he said. Another person noted that local students who go off to college and incur substantial debt for their education can't afford to return to their hometown. "Houses are being taken away from people who would come here, build families, build community, and be invested in the town itself." Taflan said that Warren County officials were aware of the local housing shortage, which was also a national problem. He noted that during the COVID pandemic, people had moved to Warrensburg and elsewhere in the Adirondacks during the COVID pandemic due to the area's lifestyle — then many of them bought homes for use as short-term rentals. He added that the number of registered short-term rentals, which had been 1,300 about a year ago, had increased to 1,600 in 2025. Taflan said that before the pandemic, the average house in Warren County cost $240,000, and now it costs $368,000 — and that local residents' rents had also increased. Two-bedroom apartments in Warren County now cost $1,500 to $2,000 per month, he said. Part of the problem with housing prices, he said, was the soaring prices of land, which have occurred in resort communities nationally. "If a builder has to spend $200,000 to $300,000 for a lot, he's not going to put a $150,000 home on it...that's how a $250,000 to $350,000 home became a $500,000 home," he said. Taflan added, however, that the area Industrial Development Agency has been requiring homebuilders to allocate a certain portion of their developments for affordable housing. "We don't now have enough townhouses, condos and manufactured homes," he said. Taflan reported that the county planning department has launched a "Thriving Hamlets" initiative that canvasses local communities to identify "pockets of land" where new houses could be situated, and that developers could be incentivized to build homes in those places. He added that a total of 400 new apartments are to be constructed in Lake George Village over the next five years. Taflan also observed that although many young adults are not returning to their hometown to live, a lot of others who work remotely and are paid well, have been moving to the area. He said attracting remote workers and their families to the region was an initiative being pursued by the county's tourism department. When asked how the occupancy tax collection is enforced, Taflan said that the county pays contractors to canvass online advertising platforms that investigate and report to the county the rentals being advertised online. SALES TAX $$ ALLOCATION QUESTIONED Warrensburg resident Mike Curry said he was concerned that several of the county's towns with large populations were receiving a far smaller share of county sales tax revenue than several towns with modest populations. He noted that the town of Warrensburg, which hosted many businesses generating sales tax, was only receiving $203 in sales tax revenue per capita, while the town of Bolton was receiving $1,787 per resident. "My opinion is that the sales tax distribution is very unfair," Curry said. Taflan explained that due to complex state tax laws, the county was obligated to allocate a portion of its sales tax revenue to its towns proportional to their total assessed value. "We have to follow the state statutes," he said. For many years, Geraghty has campaigned for Warren County sales tax revenue allocation to be changed through special allotments to the towns with low total assessed value, but the members of the county board of supervisors who represent the towns receiving the hefty sums of sales tax appropriations — including Bolton, Lake George and Queensbury — have voted down the measures that would better balance the apportionments. McKeever and others noted that many motorists were ignoring traffic signals and stop signs, speeding through intersections and flaunting traffic laws in Warrensburg, posing hazards to other motorists and pedestrians. Taflan said he would relay the observation to the county Sheriff's office. In concluding the meeting, Taflan said, "I really appreciate everyone coming tonight — This was really a lot of fun."

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Wbg. residents discuss concerns with Warren Co. CEO

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