Greetings from the Town of Bethlehem.  As Town Supervisor, I would like to welcome you to our community and tell you about the place we call home.

Bethlehem is a community of attractive residential neighborhoods, vibrant hamlets, successful mixed-use commercial centers, modern industrial facilities and productive rural lands.  We sit in the heart of "Tech Valley" and we look forward to the development of the Vista Technology Campus, a 1.4 million square foot mixed use center located in the north of town.  Bethlehem is recognized for the excellence of our schools, the quality of public safety and community services, the abundance of recreational opportunities, the productivity of local businesses, ten miles of Hudson River waterfront and the beauty and health of the natural environment.  This exceptional quality of life contributes to the economic growth and prosperity of the town and the region and we are affirmatively taking steps to meet the increasingly diverse needs and expectations of our residents in a fiscally sustainable manner.

A five person Town Board, for which I serve as the chairperson, governs our Town.  The Town Board meets the second and fourth Wednesday of each month and at such other times as may be needed.   Currently, our Town has approximately 245 full-time employees and approximately 250 seasonal or part-time employees. We have 12 departments, each with a department head that reports directly to me.  I work closely with the department heads to coordinate the day-to-day Town activities; I am the intermediary between the Town Board and the staff to implement the policies of the Town Board; and I communicate to the Town Board concerns raised to me by residents, among other things.  I am the Chief Fiscal Officer for the Town but we do employ a full-time Comptroller.  Together, we prepare the annual budget for presentation to the Town Board in September.

I invite you to visit us at the Bethlehem Town Hall, 445 Delaware Avenue, Delmar, New York 12054 or call at (518) 439-4955, extension 1164, to learn more about our town.  I look forward to talking with you.

Sam Messina
Town Supervisor