POUGHKEEPSIE – The City of Poughkeepsie has a mayor, administrator, chamberlain and corporation counsel, who can, and frequently do, communicate with the common council on pending issues.
What it does not have, in the eyes of some council members, is a separation of powers.
That led Fourth Ward Councilwoman Sarah Brannen to propose a local law allowing the council to retain its own professional staff.
“To move this city forward, we need creative, substantive policy change that can only come from solid research and collaboration,” Brannen said.
First Ward Democrat Chris Petsas agreed, citing last year’s split between the mayor and council majority on city buses.
Councilmember-at-Large Anne Finney agreed, saying she had asked the mayor for input on the Federal Transit Administration’s position on transferring the city buses to the county, but did not get a reply.
First Ward Republican Yvonne Flowers said she is getting the support she needs.
“It all comes down to that communication that you have and I feel comfortable with what the information and their direction that they have been giving me so far,” Flowers said. “We don’t always agree but respectfully, we do come to a conclusion and I do get the right information that I need.”
The measure passed with the minimum five votes.
