Dutchess County Executive Molinaro tours Harlem Valley with county address

Harlem Valley — Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro is making the rounds, discussing his State of the County address at local Town Hall meetings through the month of April. Molinaro has been taking his address on the road, recapping the highlights and inviting question-and-answer sessions with county residents. The goal is to make county government accessible to the people of Dutchess County and Molinaro’s plans for the region more broadly known.The county executive gave his State of the County address at Dutchess County Community College on March 4; it focused on a “great Dutchess County comeback,” in his words.At the time he promised to go into “every house, every community, every neighborhood and explain the state of our county, which is fragile.”He spoke about goals like maintaining a “strong bond rating and adequate fund balance,” which he said were “critical to [the county’s] fiscal security.”For 2014, Molinaro said, the county cut expenses by $3.9 million. It also dealt with a budget of which 70 percent was made up of state and federal mandates.The State of the County address also included points on education, the overcrowded Dutchess County Jail, government consolidation and shared services.To learn more about what the county executive will be focusing on in 2014, attend one of the forums being held this month. Molinaro was scheduled to appear at the Millerton Senior Center at Village Hall at 21 Dutchess Ave. on Tuesday, April 22. He will also appear at the Wassaic Senior Center at the South Amenia Presbyterian Church at 229 South Amenia Road on Wednesday, April 30, from 11:15 a.m. until noon.A full schedule of Town Hall meeting dates and times can be found at www.DutchessNY.gov.