Serino highlights social issues in first State of the County Address

The performing arts center at Red Hook High School in Red Hook was the setting for Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino’s first State of the County Address. She said that she has spent her first two and a half months in office coming up to speed with what has been happening in county government while preparing to move forward with some new programs of her own.

Serino declared that in her assessment “The state of Dutchess County is strong,” and she thanked county government employees for helping make it so.

“We must, above all, treat each other with respect, kindness and compassion. These are the principles and goals that guide me each day and will inform the decisions I make on behalf of our taxpayers,” Serino said.

She outlined plans to address educational and social issues in the county, including creation of the county’s first Community Engagement Office (CEO). It will be tasked with listening to residents’ concerns, developing active solutions to their issues and creating a more responsive county government. She plans to have the CEO operate in the field through visits to various locales and events in the county.

Serino said she wants to create new opportunities for youth, including encouraging students to take advantage of programs offered by local trade unions as well as Dutchess Community College, which provides training in fields such as HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), automotive maintenance and aviation.

Serino proposed launching the Dutchess County Food Security Council in partnership with Dutchess Outreach and the United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region. She said the council could address hunger and food insecurity while improving access to healthy, locally grown food for the increasing number of people who depend on the 65 food pantries throughout Dutchess County.

Serino said the planning process has begun to create separate departments of health and mental health in the county government, which she said would enable greater emphasis to be placed on programs to help deal with mental health issues.

Serino said she plans on a multi-faceted approach to dealing with housing needs and homelessness in the county. She pointed to the upcoming opening of Hudson River Housing’s youth transitional housing facility in Poughkeepsie that will house up to 12 individuals ages 18 through 25 who may be at a risk for homelessness, and the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion program that has helped dozens of people to find housing.

Serino said she wants to create a public awareness campaign that would highlight residents and visitors with physical disabilities, while also incentivizing small-business owners to make their businesses more accessible for people with special needs.