Longtime City of Newburgh resident and Ward 3 Councilman Bob Sklarz will conclude seven years of service at the completion of his term this coming December. Sklarz’s seat along with the other three ward representatives are up for re-election this coming fall. Ward 3 encompasses the West End city neighborhoods.

Sklarz’s political career began when he was officially sworn in as a city councilman in early 2019, filling in the seat of former city councilman Jonathan Jacobson. Jacobson went on to serve in the New York State Assembly and was recently re-elected to the seat. Sklarz would later run in a special election a year later and then run again for re-election for four years. Over the course of a seven year career, Sklarz is proud of the many accomplishments he has been able to achieve alongside his council colleagues.

Discussing housing, Sklarz is proud of the expansion of housing options in the city. Efforts and work of organizations like Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh, RUPCO and the Newburgh Community Land Bank and efforts by city council have contributed to more housing during his tenure. City council had approved the East End Lofts, located on Colden Street which is set to be completed by Summer 2025. Housing projects on Montgomery St., Washington St. and Liberty St. by the Foundry are in the works but just a few years ago, COVID delayed many projects. Now, they appear to be moving forward.

Sklarz toured the Colden project a few weeks ago and is very excited for it.

“It’s going to offer a lot of housing options for people in the city, some very affordable, some somewhat affordable, and some are market rate but the important thing is making options available for people who are living in a city in substandard housing,” said Sklarz.

The city council and city residents are also eagerly awaiting the completion of the new Aquatics Center at Delano-Hitch Park, set to be open by Memorial Day 2025. Sklarz is awaiting the ribbon cutting ceremony. The project involved city council approving a complete renovation of the site, with a new handicapped accessible pool and splash pad. This project also took time due to COVID and years of disrepair before and after closure.

As the project nears completion, Sklarz highlighted the leadership of Recreation Director Matthew Nordt and the work his team has done to clean up the park and make it more welcoming to the public. Sklarz also advocated for the sidewalks to be repaired around the park and would like to continue his pursuit of having a walking loop available for public use.

Other accomplishments are the multi-million dollar North Interceptor Sewer Project which has been completed and paves the way for development of the hillside adjacent to Water Street. The Brownfield Opportunity Area committee, a group of city residents, is currently studying the area and is drafting plans for its development and future possibilities. The work on this project can be credited to the city’s engineering department to which Sklarz highlighted their application and securing of grants for it.

For Sklarz, he feels the city is in a good place and for those who may express interest in running in the fall, he shares they should be ready to commit time and effort, be ready to answer and respond to constituents while keeping an open mind and listening to the people in the community and in government. Sklarz welcomes those conversations with those in the ward who may be expressing interest in serving on the city council.

As Sklarz looks ahead, he looks to devote more time with his wife and take some time to travel. “It has been my pleasure to help my neighbors in Ward 3 with day to day issues. Installation of stop signs has made intersections safer for both motorists and pedestrians; working with our Codes Department has improved our neighborhoods by addressing certain buildings that have been neglected; providing basic constituent services has given my neighbors a voice of advocacy in City Hall,” said Sklarz. “For me this has never been about ego. It has been about making a contribution to the City we love, to make it better moving forward. I am hopeful that a neighbor may step forward to represent the West End: someone to serve, to represent us, and to provide oversight as outlined in the City Charter. Thank you to those who have supported and encouraged me over these years. I hope I have made you proud.”