By a vote of 16-9, the Dutchess County Legislature passed the 2012 County Budget in early December. The budget raises the tax levy by 3.3 percent but keeps it under the state-imposed tax cap because pension costs and other expenses are exempt from the two-percent cap. Due to declining home values the tax rate will increase about six percent, which translates into about a $50 increase for a home valued at $250,000. While some including the County Comptroller have been critical of the budget’s sizeable reliance on fund balance ($25 million) Moody’s Investor’s Service seemed less concerned instead renewing the County’s Aa2 bond rating a week prior to the budget’s adoption.

Legislative leaders worked with outgoing and incoming county executives Bill Steinhaus and Marc Molinaro in adjusting expense lines and realigning priorities. Changes include holding money in contingency to cover election expenses should the Governor call for a special election for the 100th and 103rd Assembly Districts which are vacant by the death of Assemblyman Tom Kirwan (representing Beacon and Poughkeepsie), and in Eastern Dutchess the resignation of Marc Molinaro to assume the office of County Executive. 

Also in the 2012 County Budget is a strong emphasis on solid waste management including funding for a solid waste director and three staff members including a recycling coordinator. There was a clear shift in environmental priorities towards county leadership on solid waste which was central to a consultant’s report received earlier this year. I supported the shift although I remain uneasy about growing government when public opinion seems to be moving towards the eventual disbanding of the Resource Recovery Agency and privatization of the industry. I’m assured that the county solid waste department will be temporary tasked only to facilitate the eventual privatization of the waste industry, but I have my doubts.

Solid waste management was given higher priority in the 2012 budget than other environmental issues including a $25,000 reduction in the environmental program at Cornell Cooperative Extension. The environmental programs affected include the citizen-led Environmental Management Council which provides coordination to town conservation councils. I fought for the restoration of CCE environmental funds but was unsuccessful in part due to several legislators’ criticism of EMC independently involving itself in the solid waste field.

I did however achieve success in maintaining agriculture as a county priority by increasing the Cornell Cooperative Extension budget by $16,000. The new funding will benefit farmers by permitting the county to enter into a regional fruit and vegetable program as well as increase consultant staff hours for farm visits to assist new and emerging farms. An additional $16,000 was awarded to the Soil and Water Conservation district to assist with stream management and rehabilitation to prevent flooding as experienced in recent storms.

The two largest institutional changes include the creation of a family court public defender unit to provide indigent legal counsel and the layoff of 22 mental hygiene jobs as the county’s continuing day treatment clinics are privatized to embrace a new mental hygiene recovery-oriented model. A small appropriation was also given to the Criminal Justice Council to assist the Legislature when the time comes to move forward in alleviating jail overcrowding.

These noble agenda items notwithstanding, the agreed-upon central mission in 2012 will, by necessity, be efforts to replenish the County’s fund balance.