Supervisor Spotlight – Stony Point’s Jim Monaghan

35 year Stony Point resident Jim Monaghan has a busy schedule. Beyond his two children, his wife and his brand new granddaughter, he currently serves as the Stony Point Supervisor. The Supervisor role is a job that is not your normal 9 to 5. His calendar is packed with events in and around Stony Point, and through a simple conversation it quickly becomes obvious how much Monaghan enjoys his ability to have a direct impact on his community. Monaghan comes from a background of community service, albeit as a law enforcement officer rather than on a town board. Monaghan spent 29 years in New York City working for the NYPD before he retired from the police force in 2014. Within a year, he ran for Town Council Supervisor. Monaghan mentioned that at the time of his first run he did not see himself “…as a politician, or [as] a political person”. 10 years later working as Stony Point’s Town Supervisor, Monaghan says “I still don’t consider myself a politician”. He sees himself instead as a man who has spent much of his life in Stony Point and sees the role as an “opportunity to help the town that (he) lives in”. 

One of the biggest issues facing Stony Point currently is the preponderance of illegal housing conversions. An illegal housing conversion is when an individual purchases a property with the purpose of renting it out to lower income individuals without following proper housing or safety codes. This can then lead to hazardous, overcrowded living situations with multiple families residing in a one family home. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a huge uptick in these illegal conversions. Monaghan shared that while they used to have a singular code violations officer pre-Covid, they are now in the process of having three officers whose only jobs are to enforce illegal housing and code enforcement. 

As the town works on identifying solutions for the housing crisis, Monaghan is simultaneously focused on improving Stony Point as a whole. When discussing the future of Stony Point, Monaghan stated that “…the main goal is to preserve and protect the quality of life in Stony Point”. He gestured around his office and the buildings out the window, noting the historical architecture and states that he “loves the small town feel of Stony Point”. One of the steps he has taken in improving daily life for members of the community is supporting the development of recreational activities. So far Stony Point has built six pickleball courts, installed a splash pad, and invested in new bathrooms for the town parks. 

One of the key issues for residents of Stony Point has been the Champlain Power Express, a large power cable that runs from Canada to New York City. Many have expressed worries over the disruption its installation will cause for businesses and residents of Stony Point. The Champlain Power Express is providing Stony Point with $8 million dollars to help support local businesses that may be impacted by its construction, $2 million of which is going towards streetscaping. “We’re finally going to make a difference in downtown Stony Point,” Monaghan says, continuing with “We’re going to put street lighting, we’re going to put signage… the school district is getting money.” Monaghan asserts that the whole of Stony Point will be positively impacted by the improvements made. “I don’t sugar coat it, it’s going to be a major disruption,” Monaghan shared, his former NYPD no-nonsense voice slipping in. It seems that this may be a major disruption that could end up transforming the downtown of Stony Point for the better.