Using a scale from 0 to 10, Ulster County residents were asked to assess the level of priority they felt should be placed on a list of issues affecting the area where they live. 10 represented a top priority while 0 represented the issue was not a priority at all. The issues varied from health care to public education, from taxes, jobs, and the economy to the environment, along with a mix of other community services.
Making health care more affordable is the top priority for Ulster County residents just as it was in 2002. Today, it receives an average rating of 8.1 which is very close to the average score of 8.0 it received five years ago. The second ranked issue for Ulster County residents is improving the quality of the public schools. This was also a major concern for county residents five years ago.
The biggest change for Ulster County residents is in their concern for reducing taxes. Ranked ninth five years ago with an average rating of 7.1, it is now the third top priority for county residents with an average score of 7.9. Lowering the tax burden has similarly moved up the priority rankings across the Mid-Hudson region.
Other major issues for Ulster County residents include making health insurance more accessible, keeping businesses in the area, and creating jobs. In fact, only two-tenths of a point separate the average score for the top priority and the average rating of the sixth priority.
