Gary Bischoff experience

Gary Bischoff works for the community...

Gary Bischoff has been involved in the life of the community from the time he first moved to Saugerties. Along with his family, business, and political commitments, he remains involved in many community activities.

• Volunteer firefighter in the Saxton Fire Co. since 1975

Fellow firefighter Mike Weeks with Gary on recent drill

• Race Director for the Saugerties Fall Classic since 1995
• Raises money for Saugerties Boys & Girls Club
• Kiwanis Club
• 1998 Garlic Festival Committee
• Saugerties Elks
• Saugerties Historical Society
• Winston Farm Alliance since 1989
Chair of Technical Committee

In the past, Gary has been involved in many
other activities in the community, including:

• Race Director for the Jennifer Schaffer Race
(1985 to 1998)
• Soccer coach
• Bugler and horn instructor for the Saugerties Drum & Bugle Corps
• Cub Scout leader
• Saxton Fire District softball team

Gary Bischoff knows his business...

Manufacturer of controls and instrumentation for x-rays 160 Partition Street Saugerties, NY (1994 to present) Owner/operator 3 employees
SUNY at New Paltz Adjunct Faculty Instructor New Paltz, NY (current position) Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Gary with students and "robot" project at SUNY here
IBM Corporation Various positions in engineering and management, including supervising up to 20 people Kingston, NY (1983 to 1994)

Education

• BS in Electronic Engineering
Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ (1971)

• MS in Computer Science
Columbia University, New York, NY (1975)

• FX Systems
Kingston, NY (1978 to 1983)
Engineering Manager

Gary Bischoff works for Ulster County...

Along with his involvement in the community and his experience in the business world, Gary is committed to good government. He has the knowledge and experience in both town and county government to effectively represent Saugerties, Ulster and The Town of Kingston. Bischoff was an excellent legislator during his three terms. The added experience of four years on the Saugerties Town Board gives Bischoff intimate knowledge of problems facing towns and the proven ability to govern .

Government Experience
• Ulster County Legislature
2 terms (1992 - 1995)
1 term (2002 - 2003)
• Saugerties Town Board
1996 through 1999

Accomplishments

Economic Development
Bischoff served on the board of Ulster County Development Corporation, and on the legislature Economic Development Committee
Established a strong, active, bipartisan Saugerties Economic Development Committee.
This committee:
• Recommended and funded creation of grant application strategy
• Actively interfaced with the committee, businesses, town, and county officials
• Provided training sessions and conferences
• Instituted Industry Breakfasts to provide opportunities for local business people to network, which has led to increased local business
• Led the effort to establish the Saugerties Internet web site
• Visited many local businesses to discuss problems and concerns

Volunteer Incentive

• Bischoff was instrumental in having the legislature endorse a plan for the state and federal government to provide income tax breaks for volunteer fire and EMS personnel.
•Bischoff is fighting to have Ulster County provide a property tax incentive for volunteers.

Greenway

• Voted for Ulster County becoming a Greenway community. This will lead to:
• Additional funding for economic development
• Increased tourism
• Preservation of agriculture
•More waterfront access
Enhancement of historical and cultural resources

Awards

• Bischoff won The American Hometown Leadership Award for outstanding leadership.
• Saugerties received a $1000 grant as a result of this award.
Taxes
Gary Bischoff was instrumental in creating four Saugerties town budgets, which included no tax increases. He also:
• Fought for a larger town tax reduction
• Voted to raise income level for tax exemptions for senior citizens
• Fought for low taxes for senior citizens

911

Bischoff fought for and won agreement to have one central dispatch point for the county, rather than using four scattered points as recommended by 911 Committee. Bischoff worked with fire and ambulance services and other legislators on a bipartisan plan to have one central dispatch point.

The Ulster County 911 system has been working well since 1994 with one central dispatch point, saving taxpayer the expense of equipping and staffing three additional facilities 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.

Other Accomplishments

During his tenure on the Saugerties Town Board and in the Ulster County legislature, Gary:
• Fought for Citizens Panel for Legislature redistricting effort.
• Fought for Zero Based Budget process for 2003 legislative budget. The idea was rejected and budget resulted in 19.7% tax increase.
• Conceived the idea of forming an Environmental Bond Action committee to identify and prioritize potential projects for the purpose of obtaining environmental grants
• Supported the DARE program