Dutchess County budget hits the taxpayers hard

The outgoing county Legislature ended its two-year term the same way it began — with a lawsuit. Both times it pitted the Democrat-controlled Legislature against the Republican county executive. Both times it involved government spending. In 2007, it was implementing a hiring freeze. This year, the Legislature took the county executive to court over whether or not he could partially veto cut positions (which were later spared) at the Board of Elections. This case will appear in the State Supreme Court on Dec. 21.

Because the overall adoption of the 2010 county budget hinges on the court’s decision in the  Dec. 21 hearing, it is not presently known how much taxes will rise. But taxpayers should brace themselves. Taxes will rise, and they will rise a lot. Members of the current Legislature, when faced with many tough choices, found themselves unable to cut spending.

Going into the budget process, all knew there would be tough choices to be made to keep spending in check. Coming out of the budget process, it appears that the county taxpayer had very few friends in the Legislature.

Legislators increased the property tax levy 8.9 percent in their adopted budget, which, according to the county budget office, would increase property taxes 13.9 percent in 2010 to $289 per $1,000 of assessed value. From this the county executive made more than 150 vetoes, most overridden by the Legislature. Noble community programs were preserved but at a high cost to the struggling taxpayer, of which there are many. The county unemployment rate, with 11,600 people currently out of work, is the highest since 1994.

Taxpayer beware. The 13.9-percent property tax increase does not include the $6.5 million net service fee that the county is required to pay the Resource Recovery Agency’s Poughkeepsie-based waste-to-energy plant.

Nor does it include $6 million in revenues from the termination of the exemption on sales tax on clothing. The new Legislature will have to take up these issues in its first meetings in January. Passing on such an egregious budget with two huge holes in it onto the new Legislature is flat out irresponsible.

The Legislature also made a first-time policy last week to extend the arm of our county government into schools via school resource officers (sheriff’s deputies).While this had been the practice in six area schools, hitherto the Legislature had never specifically voted on it. The result is a further extension of county government beyond its traditional borders.

Factor in the quagmire at the county Board of Elections,  whose budget in recent years has increased 400 percent from $874,000 in 2005 to $4.4 million in 2009. When one considers that the county government is considering passing down the cost of elections to the towns, absent some provision to cut the fat at the Board of Elections, our towns have the potential to be hit hard.

Lawsuits. Double-digit property taxes. Enormous budget gaps. Out-of-control spending. Enlarged government powers. These are challenging times to be entering the Legislature. Thank you for your anticipated patience as I attempt to find some relief for the overburdened taxpayer.

 Michael Kelsey is the county-legislator-elect for the towns of Amenia, Washington, Stanford, Pleasant Valley and the village of Millbrook. He will be sworn in on Jan. 5, 2010. Write him at KelseyESQ@yahoo.com.