POUGHKEEPSIE – Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro’s proposed 2023 county budget lowers the county tax rate and tax levy reducing the amount to be raised by property taxes by $369,000.
“At a time when costs are going up all around us, Dutchess County Government remains committed to cutting costs for county residents and businesses, with our eighth consecutive property tax rate decrease and our ninth straight county levy decrease,” Molinaro announced in his budget presentation to the legislature on Tuesday.
“This particular budget at $560 million is still lower than the actual spending we had engaged in in 2022. We were able to achieve that by ringing out efficiencies, avoiding and retiring debt, and committing ourselves to a smaller, smarter and more effective county government,” he said.
Despite the reduced bottom line, he is budgeting two additional school resource officers, for a total of 13, purchasing body cameras for deputy sheriffs, expanding the county drug task force, purchasing a vehicle fire simulator, funding upgrades to the police and fire radio interoperability and adding $20 million to the county capital project plan.
The spending plan also includes funding to build a new community youth center in Poughkeepsie at the site of the former YMCA building.
