Tariffs Hit Middleburgh Truck

MIDDLEBURGH - During the Middleburgh Town Board meeting last Thursday, members heard remarks from Highway Superintendent Steve Kowalski about truck delays.

He opened up the discussion by saying that Middleburgh may have to “walk away” from a Freightliner deal coming in from Canada because of the tariffs imposed by the federal government.

To combat the costs, the border told Superintendent Kowalski that their surcharge fee will increase by 86%, which he found to be unreasonable.

“I told them there’s no way,” he said.

However, he isn’t too eager to rinse his hands of the deal just yet, as the truck is still in great condition.

Superintendent Kowalski signaled that the time to move it over maybe when the tariffs “come down” for a ninety-day period, during which the surcharge fee could sink back to normal levels. 

However, if Middleburgh does decide to step away from the deal, the Town is guaranteed a full refund on any money spent so far.

“We’ll be hard pressed to find something comparable,” he concluded.

In addition to the truck at the border, another truck that the Town has been waiting on since 2023 may not be built until March of 2026 because of the manufacturer’s backed up waiting list.

“That’s a whole year that the truck is going to lose value,” said member Susan Makely, noting that the pieces will sit in their yard for an extended period of time.

The rest of the Board was just as incredulous. “That’s insane,” Town Supervisor John Youmans followed up.

Superintendent Kowalski agreed with their sentiments, saying “To wait that long is just ridiculous.”

Despite their outrage, however, it was noted that the pieces may be able to be transported to another site for speedier production, but it remains to be seen if that’s possible.

In other news, Superintendent Kowalski explained that the highway department is halfway done with sweeping leftover sand from the roads, and they’ve been busy with ditching and culvert work as the winter turns to spring.

Finally, he said that the department has ordered fourteen new traffic signs. While some are replacements for stolen posts, others are going to swap out dulled signs for higher visibility options, and a handful will be new additions for roads that need them.