POUGHKEEPSIE – The City
of Poughkeepsie’s tax levy will rise under Mayor Robert Rolison’s
proposed 2018 budget by 1.8 percent, a contrast from the 16.5 percent
increase this year. Sewer rates will decline by 10 percent.
The mayor released details of his $84.5 million spending plan on Tuesday,
which is a decrease from the 2017 budget of $85.1 million.( Mayor’s
budget message)
Next year’s budget will stay within the state tax cap.
“We have achieved our first order of business, which was to stabilize
the city’s finances and address the most critical problems our local
government faced when I was elected mayor,” Rolison said. “With
this, my second budget, we will turn our full attention towards the many
quality-of-life issues in our community, from blight and basic cleanliness,
to your services and public safety.”
The budget includes a new weekend shift at public works, adds a second
sanitation inspector, and brings back the position of city planner, which
was eliminated in 2012. Funding for that job will come from the $3 million
the state provided to the city recently, $1 million of that being earmarked
for economic development. The city has been using the services of Dutchess
County’s planning department for almost the last two years and Rolison
said it will continue to partner with the county.
Two firefighter positions, which could have been lost with a cutback in
federal funds, will be retained in the budget as will all police officer
positions.
