Dutchess County Executive William F.X. O’Neil has released his 2024 Executive Budget, which calls for $599.9 million in spending while also reducing property taxes by 10.6% and raising sales taxes by one-quarter percent. Dutchess would collect $99.4 million in property taxes under the plan, which is the lowest property tax levy in 15 years. According to O’Neil, this is the 11th consecutive year that there will be a cut in the county portion of property tax bills.
“We remain vigilant in serving our residents in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible, while providing exemplary service and property tax relief for our residents,” O’Neil said. “Many factors outside of our control are driving up costs for 2024, including national inflation and Albany’s reckless spending and continued cost shifting. This budget plan attempts to cushion these impacts and continues Dutchess County’s careful watch of each tax dollar collected while investing in the areas our community has prioritized.”
O’Neil, a Republican, said that New York’s Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul should be blamed for mandated spending by counties. He said that in the proposed budget state mandates would cost the county $16 million more. In addition the state will not be reimbursing Dutchess $15 million due for previous Medicaid spending.
O’Neil said the county will ask the state to approve a hike in its sales tax rate from 3.75% to 4% effective in June of next year. He said that Dutchess is one of only six counties in New York that has a sales tax rate of less than 4%. Also going up is the county’s hotel tax, which would increase from 4% to 5%. The new budget anticipates the change will bring in an additional $4.8 million.
The new budget provides for hiring two new deputy sheriffs trained as Community Resource Officers for the City of Poughkeepsie; continued funding for the Dutchess County Drug Task Force, and a mental health program supporting law enforcement officers. The budget calls for making the Dutchess County Public Transit bus service more efficient to save $265,000 in operating costs. There would be a $200,000 grant program to expand composting in the county.
O’Neil said the budget provides funds to help people meet housing needs and that his administration is looking at the possibilities for using county land as sites for building affordable housing.
