I’m extremely proud to announce that Clarkstown’s strong code enforcement performance was
recently recognized by the Rockland County Illegal Housing Task Force. The agency’s most
recent report reviewed every municipality’s code enforcement efforts based on feedback from all
the county’s fire departments in relation to their dealings with local code enforcement agencies.
Clarkstown received overwhelmingly positive comments from the responding fire departments
that operate in the town, which described Town inspectors as responsive, proactive, and
effective, and noted strong working relationships with the Building Department. Across the
board, Clarkstown received repeated praise for the work of its building and fire inspectors and
their response to local concerns.
These positive findings follow a major expansion of Clarkstown’s code enforcement efforts
earlier this year. In January, theTown Board and I initiated a full package of legislation aimed at
strengthening the Town’s ability to address repeat and serious code violations. The package
included increased penalties for code violators, a dedicated Deputy Town Attorney position for
code enforcement matters, and authorization to hire three additional code enforcement officers.
The measures followed a record year for code enforcement fines collected in 2025 and
continued the Town Board’s focus on protecting neighborhoods and holding violators
accountable.
This recognition stems from years of effective code enforcement work in Clarkstown. Since
2016, we have greatly expanded our enforcement team while strengthening local laws aimed at
illegal rentals and unsafe housing conditions. That work has included the creation of a rental
registry, a ban on short-term residential rentals and greater transparency requirements for LLC-
owned properties. At the height of the migrant crisis, Clarkstown took action to prevent
unannounced migrant bus drop-offs in the Town through measures adopted by the Town Board.
Our code enforcement efforts later drew national media attention after uncovering and shutting
migrant flophouses in New City. Those cases highlight the importance of having the right tools
in place to respond when major violations create safety concerns for residents and first
responders. Together, these actions have helped shape the proactive approach reflected in the
Task Force’s review.
As a resident, you can be confident that Clarkstown has the most robust code enforcement
process in place in the Hudson Valley, with independent validation from the most recent review
conducted by the Rockland County Illegal Housing Task Force. Code violators are not tolerated
in Clarkstown. We will use the full extent of the law to protect our neighborhoods and punish
bad actors.
Residents can report potential code violations to the town through its MyClarkstown 311 App or
calling the Building Department at 845-639-2100.
