POUGHKEEPSIE – By a 7-1 vote, the Poughkeepsie Common Council’s final action of its current term was a successful override of lame-duck Mayor John Tkazyik’s budget veto.
Republican Lee Klein was the lone vote to sustain the veto but even he said he didn’t like either fellow Republican Tkazyik’s original budget, or the council’s amended version.
The override means that the tax levy will go up around seven percent, instead of the 5.3 percent the mayor had proposed, but the amended budget preserves several civilian positions in the police department, including four dispatchers.
Police Chief Ronald Knapp, invited to address the council prior to the vote, called the literally last-minute veto by the outgoing mayor on Christmas Eve “unprofessional”.
Knapp documented figures he said show the veto of portions of his budget to be counter-productive.
“The additional overtime in the loss of those dispatchers was $220,000,” Knapp said.
The chief also noted that relying on the county to handle 911 calls originating in the city adds up to two minutes to response time.
Several council members blasted Tkazyik, who has rarely appeared at any council meetings for the past several months.
Majority Leader Tracy Hermann agreed with the chief about the mayor’s timing.
“I find it very off-putting, to say the very least, that this veto was put before our collective desks minutes before the deadline,” Hermann said.
Democrat ShaRon McClinton, who is leaving the council, said she is expecting a much more positive relationship between the new council and Republican Mayor-Elect Robert Rolison.
“The incoming mayor has both expertise not only in business but also in law and he will bring a flavor to the City of Poughkeepsie that I believe will move it forward,” McClinton said.
Rolison will officially take the oath on December 31, with a ceremonial swearing in, for all city officials on January 2.
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