POUGHKEEPSIE – A proposal by Republicans on the Dutchess County Legislature to increase their own salaries has raised the ire of the county Conservative Party.
At a recent meeting of the Dutchess County Legislature’s Budget, Finance, and Personnel Committee, the Republican majority approved a substantial pay raise for incoming members of the legislature along with members who were re-elected. The salary package proposed just days after the November election, includes increases for countywide offices, with the Comptroller and Sheriff not receiving increases until 2026.
Nine Republicans and one Democrat on the committee, chaired by Mike Polasek (R-LaGrange) voted for the substantial pay raises. They were opposed by the three remaining committee Democrats. The raises will be voted on as part of the 2024 Dutchess County Budget on Thursday evening.
The 68 percent increase for rank-and-file lawmakers is opposed by the Dutchess County Conservative Party, including Chairman Don Minichino of East Fishkill and his First Vice-chair Phil Polizotto. Polizotto addressed the legislature on Monday night, reading a letter from Chairman Minichino, who remained seated in the gallery.
Minichino’s statement, issued two weeks after the committee vote, says in part, “The same old political justifying comment by Legislator Will Truitt (Majority Leader) that it’ll attract good candidates is a load of you-know-what. It doesn’t work that way and history can prove it.” The chairman noted that the raises that the Republicans are seeking are not being handled any differently than the way the Democratic majority in Albany went about securing a 29 percent raise for state lawmakers. “As Chairman of the Conservative Party, this concerns me and my committee.”
Speaking for himself, Polizotto called the raises “unconscionable” and demanded that the legislature vote against the increase.
All of the Republican members on the committee were endorsed by the Conservative Party and a substantial majority of the Republicans on the 25-member legislature also received the Conservative endorsement.
For the countywide offices, the increases affect a few offices in 2024, while the comptroller and sheriff will not see salary increases until the beginning of the next term for those offices in 2026.
Dutchess County Conservative Party First Vice-chair Philip Polizotto chastising the GOP majority of the county legislature:
