POUGHKEEPSIE – The historic Bardavon Opera House was packed with Dutchess County and local officials, and mostly, citizens, who came to hear what their popular county executive has planned for 2016.
Marcus Molinaro set three broad goals in his 45-minute State of the County message including: To be the healthiest county in the State of New York; and to ignite a revitalization revolution.
Molinaro empahsized cooperation in addressing three broad goals: health, revitalization, criminal justice
The one goal that got the most attention was criminal justice. Molinaro reminded legislators and the packed house that Dutchess County has been under state pressure for two decades, and for good reason.
“In order to properly prevent crime and treat those with mental illness as patients and not prisoners, in order to stop warehousing human beings and instead, help break the cycle of criminal behavior, in order to empower individuals to become self-sustaining within their families, their neighborhoods and their communities, the time has come to tear down that jail, demolish much of it and in its place, build the most effective and efficient transition center of its kind.”
Molinaro said next week, a comprehensive proposal for a transition center will be presented.
Other goals include a long talked about county youth services center, which he called a “$2 million investment in crime prevention and youth services” and continuing to partner with communities to make good use of planning and development tools available through the county.
He wrapped up his address with a look back, including at what he sees as one of his administration’s most notable accomplishments.
“With conservative fiscal management and prudent use of your tax dollars, we have strengthened our fiscal condition and produced four budgets under the property tax cap with the last two consecutive years providing the largest tax cuts in 16 years,” Molinaro proclaimed.
He said good things happen when people work together. The Republican exec said the “think differently” theme is a “call to arms” for the next ten years, and a reminder of what can be achieved when “we look past our differences”
Legislature Chairman Dale Borchert, a fellow Republican, agreed.
“I think Dutchess County is capable of doing just about anything and I think with the leadership he brings to the table, with have the ability to reach those goals, and that ten-year timeframe of trying to get us to the top of the pile, I think those are doable things; I look forward to giving it a shot,” Borchert said.
Democrat Minority Leader Micki Strawinski liked the Republican exec’s emphasis on a collective effort.
“The county executive always puts together a very positive presentation for a State of the County address and most of which I agree that it has been the hard work of a number of different organizations and people from the county, and think that it’s great that there are these partnerships here,” Strawinski said, following the address.
The entire program lasted over an hour and included remarks from Assemblywoman Didi Barrett, State Senator Sue Serino, Poughkeepsie Mayor and former county legislature chairman Robert Rolison and Dutchess County’’s first Poet Laureate, Robert Kelly.
