Rensselaerville’s Kuhar Endowment Fund blocked by red tape

Wednesday, September 18, 2024 - 18:25

— Enterprise file photo
The Rensselaerville cemetery was one of several organizations in the town that was supposed to money from the town's out of the Kuhar Endowment Fund, but the disbursement of the funds is being held up by the state.

RENSSELAERVILLE — Five months after announcing the 16 local organizations that would get grant money from the Kuhar Endowment Fund this year, the town of Rensselaerville has its hands tied in red tape and is unable to disburse the funds as it awaits state approval. 

The organizations — which include the local fire companies, library, and Huyck Preserve — were expecting to receive a share of $17,265 that was the interest earned on the $860,000 fund, which the town received from the late Jeffrey Bogue in 2022. The town had announced the recipients in April, and this year the money was going to be put to use. 

However, the town’s attorney, William Ryan, reported to the town board in June that he had been going “back and forth with the attorney general’s office” for several months at that point, and that they “didn’t like where we put our commas and semicolons” in the plan for how the town was going to use the money. 

At the board’s latest meeting, on Sept. 12, Ryan said that the town was still waiting on a determination and that he would be looking into the holdup since “everything’s been down there for a while.” 

The New York State Attorney General’s Office could not be reached for more information on its role in the process, but it has jurisdiction over charities and not-for-profits in the state, including estates that make charitable donations. 

The Kuhar Endowment Fund originated from a bequest left to the town by the late Jeffrey Bogue, who was not a resident of the town but had ties to it through his relation to the Kuhar family. The bequest was a surprise to the town, and Bogue had not left any directive about how to use the money. 

Confusing things even further, the attorney whom Bogue had used to set up the bequest died before the town was able to get in touch with him. 

The town decided independently that it would use the money to further local interests, based in part on the fact that Bogue was a committed volunteer while he was alive, according to his cousin, Rosemarie Kuhar. 

As an endowment, the town can only use the interest generated by the fund while the principal remains untouched. 

More Hilltowns News

  • Berne supervisor proposes 19-percent tax increase

    After raising taxes more than 750 percent for this year’s budget, Berne Supervisor Dennis Palow — who lacks a town board after a majority of members resigned over financial and other concerns — is proposing raising taxes 19 percent to roughly $5.49 per $1,000 in assessed value, which would be the highest tax rate in more than a decade.

  • 102nd Assembly: Tague keeps seat from Tweed

    Republican Assemblyman Chris Tague’s re-election grants him another two years in an office he’s held since 2018. A dairy farmer with experience in local government and the private sector, Tague has promised to continue promoting rural causes in the state legislature.

  • Berne may be able to enact 19-percent tax increase without board, but with stipulations

    Executive Director for the New York State Association of Towns Chris Koetzle laid out for The Enterprise how Berne may be able to go about enacting its current draft budget for 2025 without a board to authorize it, or vote to override the 2 percent tax cap. However, he warned that the situation was unprecedented and that it’s up to the comptroller’s office to determine how to proceed. 

The Altamont Enterprise is focused on hyper-local, high-quality journalism. We produce free election guides, curate readers' opinion pieces, and engage with important local issues. Subscriptions open full access to our work and make it possible.