POUGHKEEPSIE – The Democratic candidate for State Senate in the new 39th District is challenging claims by her Republican opponent.
GOP candidate, Rob Rolison, currently Poughkeepsie’s mayor, maintains the poor financial state of the city when he became mayor was the fault of his predecessor. But, Democrat Julie Shiroishi said that was not the case.
“The fact is that when Rob Rolison was chairman of the Dutchess County Legislature, he pushed through a tax deal with the cities of Beacon and Poughkeepsie that hurt both cities, that really hurt their finances,” she said.
That “unfair tax deal” expired this year, but Shiroishi said it cost the two cities millions in lost revenue over the last decade.
Mayor Rolison just released his 2023 Preliminary Budget and touted the new sales tax agreement as a key factor in improving the city’s finances. Rolison said “The city’s financial picture has been bolstered overall through the renegotiated 10-year sales tax agreement with Dutchess County and the City of Beacon — an effort that rebalances the county’s distribution of collected sales taxes under a much more equitable formula, recognizing the city’s special role as the county seat.”
The $109 million spending plan includes a continued reduction in the city’s general fund deficit. When Rolison took office, the city was facing a deficit of $13.2 million. In releasing the 2023 spending proposal Rolison said, “Today our general fund deficit stands at $2.8 million, and we expect that a small surplus in the current year will further improve that important measure of the city’s overall financial condition,” he said.
Proud of the substantial deficit reduction, Rolison exclaimed “In 2023, we will completely eliminate that deficit and begin to re-establish reserves in accordance with best practices in municipal finance.”
