David Ross of the Epstein Files Is On Beacon's Board Of Assessment Review; 2 New People Being Appointed Tonight

Two weeks ago, A Little Beacon Blog reported that speculation was dropped in the Public Comment section of the 2/17/2026 City Council Meeting that David Ross, the newly appointed board member for Beacon’s Board of Assessment Review (the board who reviews property assessment grievances once a year and is one of the only boards required by New York State), may become a topic of interest after it surfaced that Board Member David Ross, who is better known as a museum director for major contemporary art museums like the Whitney Museum of American Art, and lives in Beacon, resigned from his position as chair of the MFA Art Practice Program at New York’s School of Visual Arts (SVA) after ARTNews broke the story that David had a years long friendship and travel visits with the convicted pedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein in the Epstein Files.

ALBB emailed David to ask if he was still on Beacon's Board of Assessment Review, as well as Southern Dutchess Country Club's board as president and chairman, but received no response.

This week (tonight), 2 new appointments for Beacon’s Board of Assessment Review on Beacon’s City Council Meeting Agenda for 2/2/2026 are scheduled, which have once again not been publicized in advance. This is a 5 member board, and no resignations have been publicly announced since the board was completely appointed to in October 2025.

The first time the appointments were not publicized was in October 2025 to re-appoint real estate agent Michele Rios, and bring on David Ross for the first time. During that meeting, Mayor Lee Kyriacou hardly gave David Ross any introduction at all, and ushered in both appointees. But not before members of the City Council questioned the process of submitting ethics complaints about any board member. Read the entire (short) transcript of that meeting here at ALBB to see what was asked and how during that meeting.

Screenshot of the City of Beacon’s Board of Assessment Review page without David Ross’ name on it, but with a different application link.

ALBB emailed David Ross to ask him if he was still on Beacon’s Board of Assessment Review following his MFA resignation, via his Southern Dutchess Country Club email, where he is still listed as the President and Chairman on the website of that club on Wolcott Avenue. David has not yet replied.

As of today, February 2, 2026, David is not listed on the City of Beacon’s website as being on the board to which he was appointed to on October 9, 2025.

According to the WayBack Machine, as of November 15, 2025, David had also not yet been added to the website. However, the link on how to apply has since been updated.

The public has the opportunity to grieve their properties in May of each year.

It was discovered during the first appointment in October 2025 that should people wish to file a complaint about a board member, there is no Board of Ethics Committee in Beacon. Citizens must file a complaint with Dutchess County’s Board of Ethics Committee, of which Kathy Martin is a member of that 5 person board. Kathy Martin is the Assessor for the City of Beacon, who Beacon’s Board of Assessment Review corresponds with. Kathy is also the Mayor of the Village of Fishkill, and is the Assessor for the Town of East Fishkill, a shared salary paid to her by the City of Beacon and the Town of East Fishkill.

David Ross is the husband of Peggy Ross, who served on Beacon’s City Council years prior. This was not mentioned the evening of David’s appointment to the Assessment Review Board, nor was David’s real estate interests in renovating old factories to become private contemporary art museums with his architect friend and/or consulting client William Ehrlich who owned 20 properties at the time.