POUGHKEEPSIE – The Poughkeepsie Common Council expands from eight to nine members in the new year and Mayor Robert Rolison announced on Monday that Council Chairwoman Natasha Cherry will oversee the transition and serve as liaison with administration.
The mayor’s propose 2018 budget, which lowers sewer rates and stays under the state tax cap, awaits approval by the council early next month. “Preparation is the backbone of success,” said Cherry. “A successful transition period which embraces our new colleagues will lay the groundwork for collaboration among us,” she said.
The outgoing council has three more meetings this year and faces the deadline of less than two weeks from the Federal Transit Authority to transfer the city’s buses to Dutchess County or face a federal grant recapture penalty of as much as $2 million.
Cherry supports the bus transfer, but the council has been unable to garner the five votes needed to approve it. “Obviously the current council owns this problem, and I hope it acts to resolve it now, rather than leaving the incoming council to face the consequences – enough is enough – and I certainly will not support putting this burden on our taxpayers,” Cherry said.
