ALBANY — Cobleskill Mayor Rostam “RJ” Freitag met with Gov. Kathy Hochul earlier this month at the New York Council of Mayors (NYCOM) conference in Albany.

“Look—Albany was a trip, in the best way. I’m at the NYCOM conference, I end up at the Governor’s Mansion, and suddenly it’s like the curtain gets pulled back and you actually see how the gears of government turn—budget, policy, priorities, all of it—and how it lands right in our laps back home,” said the mayor.

“And here’s the part I want people to know: I didn’t go up there to smile for a photo and call it a day. When I got the chance to speak with the Governor, I told her straight—upstate communities like ours need real access to that $750 million for water and sewer improvements. That’s not glamorous, but it’s the kind of ‘main character energy’ investment that protects public health, keeps services reliable, and helps us grow the right way. Cobleskill is ready to put in the work—and I’m going to keep pushing until we bring real resources back to the people who live here.”