POUGHKEEPSIE – Lame-duck Mayor John Tkazyik, who has missed most Poughkeepsie Common Council meetings in recent months, was not around for the final vote on his proposed budget Monday night. There were significant changes to the budget that was adopted on a 7-1 vote.
Council Chairman Christopher Petsas hit on what had been one of the main points of contention in the budget.
“I will remind you that the mayor was proposing seven cuts in our police department,” Petsas said. “These cuts were opposed by nearly everyone I spoke to. I’ve gotten a stack of letters from the Dutchess County 911 oversight committee and a whole bunch of other officials saying ‘do not do this; you will jeopardize the public safety’.”
Most council members agreed, albeit reluctantly, that Poughkeepsie would be hurting if those cuts stood.
The lone Republican, Lee Klein, argued that taxpayers are at the breaking point.
“There are consequences to raising taxes,” Klein cautioned. “One of the things that people need to be mindful of is that there are many people in this city who cannot afford to pay the taxes right now.”
Democrat Ann Perry said she agreed with most of what Klein said, but had to support the budget to avoid layoffs.
After relatively brief debate, the council approved the amended budget, which raises taxes 6.9 percent, or about nine times the state inflation-adjusted tax cap of .76 percent. That is also one and a half percent higher than what Tkazyik proposed. Even fellow Republican Klein criticized the budget in casting the lone ‘no’ vote.
Democrat Petsas noted he is working Republican Mayor-elect Robert Rolison on what he would be dealing with when he takes over next month.
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