Boosts spending, lowers tax rate
The Dutchess County Legislature on Monday (Dec. 9) approved a $629 million budget for 2025 that boosts spending and the overall tax levy but lowers the tax rate for the 10th consecutive year.
Legislators voted 23-2 to endorse County Executive Sue Serino’s plan, which represents a $20 million increase in spending (3.3 percent) balanced by $101 million in property taxes (a 1.5 percent increase), $268 million in sales tax revenue (2 percent increase) and $20 million in savings.
Residential and commercial property owners will be taxed at $2.17 per $1,000 of assessed value, compared to $2.23 in 2024.
Nick Page, who represents Wards 1, 2 and 3 in Beacon and part of Fishkill, and Yvette Valdes Smith, who represents Ward 4 and part of Fishkill, both voted yes.
Expenses include a jump of $9 million for health insurance premiums and pensions and 4 percent salary increases for sheriff’s deputies under a three-year contract approved last month.
Serino still needs to sign the budget and can veto any of the Legislature’s amendments. On Tuesday (Dec. 10), she called it a “careful, responsible” plan that “makes important investments in our community and provides essential services while limiting the impact to taxpayers.”
In addition to continuing an exemption from sales taxes on clothing and footwear under $110 per item, the county forecasts that it will distribute $46 million in sales taxes to Beacon, the City of Poughkeepsie and the county’s towns under a revenue-sharing formula.
Serino allocated $2 million to expand ambulance coverage, $250,000 for drop-in centers under the county’s Youth Opportunity Union program, $200,000 for scholarships to summer camps and $35,000 to expand transportation for seniors.
The budget also contains $200,000 for a Real Time Crime Center using money from a new Community Benefit Fund created from Dutchess’ share of the federal American Rescue Plan Act.
Another $200,000 from the Community Benefit Fund is being split by the Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office for crime and public safety programs, and $100,000 will underwrite a refrigerated truck and a plan to reduce hunger through the county Food Security Council.
Serino said Dutchess will award another round of grants from its Housing Trust Fund, created to help developers build affordable housing. The county is also using $400,000 from the state’s settlement with Juul to launch an anti-vaping campaign.
Legislators used money from the Community Benefit Fund and property taxes to add spending, including $750,000 to a contingency fund for overtime at the county jail; $500,000 for the Planning Department’s “municipal innovation” grant program; $350,000 for repairs to the terminal building at the county airport in Wappingers Falls; and $100,000 to expand the Veterans Microgrant Program.
They also added $100,000 for a grant program for organizations providing services, such as meals, to people experiencing homelessness, $75,000 for a zero-waste consultant to conduct a solid waste study and $75,000 in mini-grants that local historical societies can use for events in 2026 commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.
The document is available online at dutchessny.gov/budget2025.
