John Reilly will step down as Gallatin Town Supervisor effective March 31.
The announcement was made at the Feb. 24 Gallatin Town Board meeting. A vote will be cast to determine his replacement at a meeting on March 24.
In his annual supervisor’s letter to Gallatin taxpayers in January, Reilly wrote that 2026 would be his final year in office. However, at the Feb. 24 Town Board meeting, he announced he would step down earlier than planned, setting his resignation for March 31 instead of serving through the end of his term on Dec. 31.
“I think my notice last night may have caught people in the audience by surprise, but my transition out of the supervisor’s position has been long in the making,” Reilly told the Herald on Feb. 25.
Reilly served as Gallatin’s supervisor for 13 years. Before that, he was a Town Board member for two years. When he first took office, he intended to serve eight years. “At the end of my eighth year, there was not a deep bench of people coming up through the committees and boards that were interested in being supervisor,” he said. While Reilly did not make an endorsement for his successor, he said he suspects current Town Board member Tara Silberberg will have the votes to take over as interim supervisor, beginning in April.
His retirement coincides with other leadership departures in Gallatin, including former Highway Superintendent Jack Gomm, who stepped down in 2025.
Reilly initially planned to retire in December 2025 but chose to stagger his departure with Gomm’s. “It would have caused a major disruption in the ability for the town to operate in the short term,” he said.
“I feel good about stepping down at this point as the town is in excellent financial condition,” Reilly said. “The Highway Department, which is the center of the town’s budget system, is in good hands with an experienced superintendent and new equipment in an updated building.”
He pointed to several accomplishments during his tenure, including revamping the town’s budgeting process, enrolling the town in the state retirement system, selling unused municipal assets, establishing the Gallatin Conservation Area and upgrading the Highway Department’s equipment and facility.
“It truly has been a privilege to represent Gallatin both at town events and during county meetings,” he said.
Reilly’s resignation comes as the town continues work on a comprehensive update to its zoning code. The Town Board is partnering with Hudsonia Ltd. to map environmental features in Gallatin, including wetlands, vernal pools and forested areas, as part of an effort to guide future land-use decisions and determine where development may be appropriate.
The review is intended to align local zoning with what Reilly has described as “the gradual transition of Gallatin from a farming community to a small agri-tourism, home business and natural focused preserved woodland based community.”
If appointed interim supervisor, Silberberg, who has served on Gallatin’s Conservation Advisory Council, would help oversee completion of the zoning update.
“I would be honored to work collaboratively with my fellow board members to complete the zoning project and begin the search for a new board member,” Silberberg told the Herald. “I thank John for his service to Gallatin, the town is in excellent financial shape thanks to him.”
In his letter to residents, Reilly also expressed regret that the town did not move forward with plans to construct a new town hall, a project he had previously supported. He cited rising construction costs as the primary obstacle. Instead, the town will prioritize repairs and upgrades to the existing building.
Because funds had been set aside for the proposed new facility, Reilly announced a one-time 42% reduction in town property taxes. “The Town Board felt it fair to return those funds to the residents if we did not go forward with a full rebuild,” language in the letter states.
“Maintaining one of the lowest town tax rates in the county is the inheritance of each Gallatin supervisor,” Reilly said. “As long as our residents include many retirees and folks working with modest incomes, I think it is the most important task the supervisor undertakes.”
Although he is stepping down as town supervisor, Reilly said he is not leaving public life entirely and is monitoring potential changes to Columbia County’s government structure for a potential return to elected office.
In June 2025, Columbia County Forward, a political organization, submitted a petition with nearly 4,000 signatures to the clerk of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors seeking a referendum to change the county’s governing structure. The proposal would have replaced the current system — in which town supervisors collectively govern the county — with a full-time, elected county executive. The county invalidated the petition and was consequently sued by the petitioners. The lawsuit was ultimately struck down.
“If our county moves to a county manager or executive system, you would see me show interest in that role,” Reilly told the Herald.