Brandon Holdridge

05/29/2026

Thank you Senator James Skoufis for helping to clean up this mess. This is existential to our budgets.

To put this in perspective for Chester residents, according to our Comptroller, we may lose somewhere around $340,000 in this year’s budget. That will be devastating. We hope the Assembly passes it as well and the Governor signs it as soon as possible. If not, Orange County’s decade or so long mistake will force us to make giant cuts in our budgets.

Last month, it was revealed Orange County had improperly over-distributed sales tax revenue to municipalities. The oversight could cost municipalities $20 million this year. Our cities, towns, and villages have already drafted their budgets and are relying on that miscalculated money for necessary services.

As soon as I was made aware of this error, I introduced legislation with our state delegation to address the inaccuracy, which passed the Senate yesterday.

This legislation is a priority for me because it’s a priority for Orange County. Between the cost of gas and groceries, no one in our communities can afford the skyrocketing property taxes that the county’s faulty accounting would cause. I remain optimistic we can see this legislation signed into law by July, and our municipalities made whole once again.

05/28/2026

05/27/2026

Office of Chester Supervisor Holdridge
17M Roadwork PSA🚜:

Two years ago, the DOT paved a significant part of 17M from Harriman to the Village of Chester. It was supposed to stop at the 17M Bridge, but after some advocacy from Senator Skoufis and I, they extended it to the Route 94/Academy Ave intersection. The rest of the roadway from that intersection in Chester to Goshen will be paved starting on June 8th. Please see below from the company that has been contracted for this job:

Construction is presently anticipated to begin on or about Monday, June 8, 2026, weather permitting and subject to field conditions.

The work generally consists of roadway preventive maintenance operations along NYS Route 17M, including milling and paving operations, pavement repairs, utility structure adjustments, pavement markings, drainage structure repairs, ADA ramp replacements, and related traffic control activities. The project work limits are located in segments along Route 17M between the Route 207 intersection and the Route 94 intersection, and between Gilbert Street and the Route 17 interchange.

05/25/2026

Office of Chester Supervisor Holdridge
5/27/26 Town Board Meeting Agenda:

I will have a full breakdown of the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Amendments highlights by the end of next week. In the meantime, please feel free to view all documents on the Town Website when they are up later this week. We are very close to the end of this process. We expect to be voting on the final plan by July 8th at the latest.

05/25/2026

Please remember the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We owe them everything and more.

05/25/2026

Memorial Day services will be held at Walton Engine & Hose Co. 81 Main st. 11am on May 25th. Please spread the word as our sign board is the process of being replaced. Notice to all attendees, the firehouse is currently without bathrooms.

05/24/2026

The festival is still on, and the rain has passed! Come support our brave vendors who are making this festival so special!

05/18/2026

Happening tonight! Join us at Cancun Inn Restaurant at 6:30PM!

Chester Democrats! May 18th is the day to come support your local Democratic Committee as we unveil our slate of candidates for the 2026 Elections. We have four candidates for Chester Town Board and one for Highway Supervisor, all ready to keep the good work going. If you want to help continue the responsible governance we're finally seeing in Chester, come enjoy some delicious food and drinks at the Cancun Inn for our kickoff fundraiser. RSVP to claim your spot. And if you can't make it but want to show your blue support, you can donate at the QR below or at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/chester2026kickoff?refcode=ab_qr_code&utm_source=qr_code
Keep the progress going!

05/17/2026

Tom Becker has been a friend and mentor of mine since the first day I became politically active in Chester. He is the definition of commitment. His institutional knowledge, especially when it comes to sewer and water, is not something the community wants to lose. I look forward to seeing Tom on the Town Board again! Come support him and the rest of the Democratic slate at Cancun Inn on Monday!

If you live in central Chester (Whispering Hills, Rt. 94, Glenmere, Goelet, The Greens of Chester, near the Industrial Park, the northern parts of Kings Highway and Laroe Rd, Rachel, Bianca, Mountainside, Murray Drive), listen up! You are in Chester Ward 2 and your candidate for Town Board is Tom Becker.

He's currently on the Board and has been an effective voice in financial cost control, budgeting, infrastructure improvements, preservation of our way of life, and putting the interests of all residents front and center. Let's keep his good work going!

Come meet Tom at our Democratic Committee Fundraiser this coming Monday, 5/18 at 6:30 pm at The Cancun Inn in Sugar Loaf.

Reserve your spot now at:
secure.actblue.com/donate/chester2026kickoff

05/17/2026