POUGHKEEPSIE – Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro presented his 2020 budget to the county legislature on Wednesday. The $512.9 million spending plan, according to Molinaro, provides the “Largest property tax levy cut in 20 years.”
Molinaro’s spending plan includes a 1.4 percent spending increase designed to cover initiatives such as a $2.4 million investment in Dutchess Tourism, additional money for Arts Mid-Hudson, and the creation of the Tommy Zurhellen Fund, to support homeless veterans.
Molinaro said the budget reflects “our commitment to controlling spending.” He said reductions in spending, including lower health care premiums for county employees, have helped keep the spending increase under 1.5% percent.
Sales tax revenue receipts, the largest source of revenue for Dutchess County government, are estimated to be $210 million in 2020. Of those receipts, Molinaro plans to share $33 million with the county’s towns, villages, and cities; an increase of $2 million over last year. “Sales tax is an indicator of economic growth,” said Molinaro. “Sales tax revenue also helps lower the county’s dependence on property tax revenue to provide programs and services to residents.”
Molinaro has long been a proponent of tourism and the arts, and touts the revenue generated as a result of those initiatives. To that end, his proposed budget will increase funding to Dutchess Tourism Inc. by 18 percent. The county executive calls it an investment in an industry in which “tourists spent $642 million in Dutchess County in 2018.” Arts Mid-Hudson will also be benefitting from a 44 percent increase in county support, bringing their total to $160,000 of county money to bolster their efforts.
Molinaro also plans to pour $29.5 million into the county’s aging roads and bridges; some work has already begun. The new funds will include paving of 20 miles of county roads and replacement or repair of 13 bridges and 4,000 feet of guide rails. With the upcoming winter weather, Molinaro told the audience of department heads, community members, and six of the 25 lawmakers that the funding will also help with 9,000 miles of snow removal in the county.
Legislature Chairman Gregg Pulver, and Minority Whip Kristofer Munn were both in attendance at the budget presentation. When asked about the biggest concern his members will have about the budget, Pulver said, “We’re always worried about the revenue side.” The chairman, a working farmer from Pine Plains, was enthusiastic about Molinaro’s continued support of farmland and open space preservation. The proposed budget includes $2.5 million in funding to protect not only large farms but smaller ones as well. Both Molinaro and Pulver agreed that protecting farms is vital to the county’s continued success.
Pulver also appreciated Molinaro’s efforts to stem the opioid crisis in eastern Dutchess. The county executive teamed with State Assemblywoman Didi Barrett a few months ago to introduce plans for a “mobile crisis vehicle” for the Route 22 corridor. “When people need help in eastern Dutchess, it needs to be available right away, as opposed to convincing the person to travel to the Stabilization Center in Poughkeepsie. The mobile unit will be a tremendous asset for eastern Dutchess,” said Pulver.
Munn was concerned that the opioid crisis is not being treated as such. “We’re doing some great things in Dutchess,” Munn said while stressing the need for additional support. “We need to focus on treating the crisis rather than giving people a half-penny out of a dollar on their tax bill,” he said.
The legislature’s Budget, Finance, and Personnel Committee, chaired by Legislator John Metzger, is scheduled to begin reviewing Molinaro’s budget next week.
