The Dutchess County Legislature has approved the 2025 budget with a bipartisan vote of 23-2. The budget, which includes several amendments to County Executive Sue Serino’s proposal, aims to maintain and expand services for residents while keeping property taxes below the New York State cap.
The $629.4 million spending plan promises to decrease the county property tax rate by 2.7 percent, marking the tenth consecutive year of tax rate cuts. "Homeowners and businesses will see the County property tax rate decrease by 2.7 percent," stated the announcement, noting that it will drop from $2.23 in 2024 to $2.17 in 2025.
County Executive Serino's budget introduces new initiatives focused on public safety, youth services, and support for seniors and veterans. Notable initiatives include expanded support for the Dutchess County Drug Task Force, a historic $2 million investment in Emergency Medical Services, and new programs for older adults.
Legislators unanimously approved several amendments to add funding for various initiatives. These include $750,000 for overtime at the Dutchess County Justice & Transition Center, $500,000 for older adult programming through the Municipal Innovation Grant program, and $350,000 for repairs at Hudson Valley Regional Airport.
Additional allocations include $100,000 each for expanding veterans' microgrants and homelessness services grants; $75,000 each for a zero-waste study and historical society events; as well as funds aimed at supporting transportation services for veterans and after-school programming.
Several amendments were funded through the Community Benefit Fund established by Serino, while others were supported through the property tax levy.
Residents had opportunities to discuss budget details during town hall forums hosted by Serino. The next step involves forwarding the amended budget to her for review before final adoption at a legislative meeting scheduled on December 18th.
For further information about the budget details can be found on dutchessny.gov/budget2025.
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