TOWN OF POUGHKEEPSIE – Fairview fire commissioners unanimously approved a $4.75 million budget Monday night that includes a 21 percent tax increase for homes in the towns of Poughkeepsie and Hyde Park that are served by the professional firefighters at the Fairview Fire Department.
Board Chairman Andrew Calamari noted that the past five budgets have stayed under the state tax cap by underfunding the district. “For years, the board has budgeted for donations, including a substantial annual benefit from Marist College, and we did not include that this year. Given the financial stresses caused by the pandemic, we did not want to craft a budget that relied on money we haven’t received yet,” he said.
During 2020, the department experienced the retirement of Chief Chris Maeder and another lieutenant as well as the transfer of a lieutenant and five firefighters. Those personnel changes resulted in a decrease to the state retirement system. The reduced contribution to the retirement system allowed the board to reduce the budget by $93,000.
The district covers a portion of both towns and is also responsible for several tax-exempt facilities including Dutchess Community College, MidHudson Regional Hospital, and Marist College.
Homeowners in the Poughkeepsie portion of the district will see their fire tax increase to $874 for a home assessed at $100,000, at a tax rate of $8.74 per $1,000 of assessed value. Hyde Park residents will see a substantial increase, due in part to the town’s 52 percent equalization rate. The rate will be $16.81 per $1,000 of assessed value equivalent to a fire tax bill of $1,681 for a house assessed at $100,000.
“The board worked diligently to craft a budget that does not jeopardize public safety. It was difficult but we did it,” said Calamari. The board usually meets on Tuesdays but changed the meeting night to Monday due to election day. One of the five board members was unable to attend due to a prior commitment.
