POUGHKEEPSIE – A dozen residents of Poughkeepsie made their own recommendations to the city’s Charter Review Commission at a public hearing on Monday with some former city officials saying the current form of government is not working well.
John Garrity, a former city court judge and corporation counsel, urged the commission to define what “full-time” means in terms of the position of mayor. He said top city officials should be required to live in the city and he suggested that public safety employees be given the opportunity to live in Poughkeepsie.
Former alderwoman Mary Solomon said because of the current city government structure, it is in dire financial straits.
“When our former mayor began his term, he started with a well-managed city and a financial reserve between $1 million and $2 million,” Solomon said. “This strong mayor not only spend the reserve, but after eight years left us with no reserve and $12 million the hole, not counting bonded indebtedness.”.
The commission has proposed creating a strong mayoral form of government with a deputy mayor to serve similarly as the city administrator does now.
Some residents said the mayor’s post should be assimilated into the common council as an alderman-at-large with no veto power.
The commission, which has been reviewing the charter for a year, must present its final recommendations by this fall.
