New York State Sen. James Skoufis announced a $2.5 million state grant on July 12 to build a new parking garage in downtown Middletown.   The money will fund the first-phase construction, adding 90 new parking spots just across the historic Paramount Theatre on Washington Street.  “It is probably fair to say that a project…

Highland Falls, N.Y.—DeeDee Moreno, a big-hearted craft store owner, walked down Main Street in the village of Highland Falls after the water had ceded and checked on everyone she saw.  Nearly nine inches of rainfall on Sunday, July 9, turned the once babbling Highland Brook into a roaring river, which swept the central business district…

The Orange County Legislature passed a resolution on July 6 to hire Boston-based Applied Geographics to assist in its decennial redistricting process.  Applied Geographics was picked out of four firms by a selection committee based on criteria such as qualifications, experience, timelines, and costs, according to a recent rules committee meeting.  The firm has over…

Looking back on the 2023 legislative session, New York Democratic Sen. James Skoufis told The Epoch Times that he pushed several high-priority bills with statewide impacts through both houses. He also worked with Republican colleagues in the Assembly in passing local laws that allow a number of towns and villages in Orange County to levy…

A state monitor will soon be hired to watch over the Orange County Industrial Development Agency (OCIDA) with powers to override board decisions. Proposed by New York State Sen. James Skoufis, the measure to install a monitor is in the $229 billion state budget passed by the legislature on May 2, nearly a month after the…

An Orange County IDA top official says the agency is already under sufficient state oversight and needs no more from New York State Sen. James Skoufis.  Bill Fioravanti, chief executive officer at the county’s Industrial Development Agency (IDA), said the agency reports to the New York State Authorities Budget Office and Comptroller’s Office and operates within the General…

A new tax incentive package meted out by Orange County Industrial Development Agency triggered an investigation by Sen. James Skoufis (D-N.Y.) on Feb. 22.  The Industrial Development Agency, or IDA, is a public benefit corporation empowered by state law to use tax incentives to spur economic development and job growth.  In December, the Orange County…

As the state budget talks entered their second week on Feb. 13, New York Democratic Sen. James Skoufis told The Epoch Times that his priorities included further bail reform, income tax cuts for the middle and working class, and fighting against the proposed payroll mobility tax raise.  Skoufis represents the 42nd Senate district, which encompasses…

Republican candidate Dorey Houle conceded to Democrat James Skoufis on Nov. 30 in the New York 42nd Senate District race, following fresh results of absentee ballots and affidavits.  The final tally shows Skoufis got 49,720 votes—1,434 more than Houle.  “I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate Senator Skoufis on his win,” Houle said in a…

James Skoufis, a two-term state senator representing the 39th senate district, is running in the newly drawn 42nd State Senate district in New York, which encompasses almost all of Orange County. He faces Republican candidate Dorey Houle in the general election. Skoufis spoke with The Epoch Times on Oct. 25. The interview has been edited for…