POUGHKEEPSIE – The county legislature’s annual public hearing on the executive budget proposal lasted 13 minutes and drew comments from only four Dutchess County residents.
There perhaps was a theme – what was not in County Executive Marcus Molinaro’s 2017 spending plan.
William Smith said there was nothing for seniors. He also noted an apparent irony confronting taxpayers.
“Third time in a row they decreased taxes for Dutchess County and the City of Poughkeepsie wants to raise our taxes, so I don’t understand that,” Smith said.
Maria Quackenbush, of Hyde Park, said she doesn’t mind paying taxes if it does some good.
“More of that money needs to go back to the cities and the towns so that they can fix some of the problems they have,” Quackenbush said. “I have never seen so many boarded up buildings in the City of Poughkeepsie as I’ve seen this past year.”
Molinaro’s $467 million budget increases spending two-tenths of one percent increase in spending, while cutting the tax levy slightly. The county executive says there are also some new initiatives.
The legislature will be reviewing the budget and meeting with department heads before voting on it. It would then go back to Molinaro who could sign it, or veto any changes.
Teen reported shot in Beacon Thursday night
May 3, 2024
