Mayor Flowers Releases 2025 Preliminary Budget

City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers has released the 2025 preliminary budget that moves the city forward in a fiscally responsible manner, while funding critical improvements to our infrastructure and downtown business community.

With the new tax rate for 2025, homeowners will see an increase of just over 9 percent in their property taxes, which will translate to $18.20 per month for a homeowner with an average $300,00 assessed value.

The impact of inflation and rising cost of non-discretionary (must-pay) expenses are two key contributors to the proposed rate increase.

The mayor's on-time, $109,188,227 million budget plan, which includes a general fund appropriation of approximately $70,726,203 million, has been forwarded to the Common Council for review and approval. The Common Council has set a public hearing on the budget for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4 in Common Council Chambers.

Mayor Flowers cited inflationary pressures, mandates, the end of American Rescue Funds, and extraordinary increases in must-pay expenses including health care and pension costs as reasons for the property tax increase.

For the average assessed home, water, sewer and sanitation rate increases would also translate to $9.61 per month increase.

"We have put forth a responsible budget to address the city's challenges and to ensure the city continues to get a stronger financial footing after being mired in deficits for far too long," Mayor Flowers said. She added, "There is more work to do to ensure the city can provide services, modernize aging infrastructure, and maintain an adequate workforce."

Under Mayor Flowers' budget, the homestead tax rate would slightly rise to $10.83 with a .73 cent increase per $1,000 of assessed value, while the non-homestead rate would rise to $13.93 with a .17 cent increase per $1,000 of assessed value.

Mayor Flowers cited a number of public investment highlights from the 2025 budget plan, including:

Infrastructure

-- Obtaining more funds to inventory and then replacing lead service lines. The city has become eligible for grants and interest-free loans and is aggressively seeking the financial resources to start lead service line replacement projects.

-- Modernizing the water service along South Avenue and Franklin Street to provide additional water flow and firefighting capacity to residents and businesses alike. These improvements will not only help mitigate public safety concerns with water supply, but more significantly replaces a number of lead service lines in the surrounding neighborhood.

-- Improving street paving efforts that increased this year with approximately $2 million being used to mill and pave sections of more than a dozen roads totaling approximately 2.6 miles.

-- Replacing the Garden Street Bridge over Fallkill Creek, a project that is expected to commence next spring.

-- Planning the renovations of Spratt Park Pool House following the successful construction of the Pulaski Park Pool House, which opened this year.

-- Making structural repairs to the Hooker Avenue Fire Station, a century-old building.

Strategic Initiatives - Special Projects

-- Partnering with the Poughkeepsie Housing Authority to develop a community-driven transformation plan for the city's Northside neighborhood with a focus on revitalizing the Thurgood Marshall Terrace and Martin Luther King Jr. Garden Apartments.

-- Maintaining funding levels for Youth Services Division, including youth mentorship and internship programming.

-- Increasing funding for downtown business district improvements, including implementation of the Business Improvement District to assist with promoting and stimulating the business landscape to maintain and attract new businesses.

-- Providing a clear zoning blueprint that will entice developers to increase both housing and employment options in the city.

-- Building on the city's designation as one of the state's first "Pro-Housing Communities" by helping city residents find and secure suitable housing, while providing a lifeline to those currently housed in unsuitable conditions.

-- Doubling down on efforts to address concerns with homelessness throughout the city by increasing police patrols in troubled areas along with augmenting city resources to mitigate quality of life issues across the board.

Mayor Flowers also pointed to the city's upgraded financial status, as noted by the State Comptroller's office and two key credit ratings agencies, a result of the fiscal healing that has occurred since the city faced a $13.2 million general fund deficit.

"The decisions we make today will greatly impact our future," she said. "The city's stronger financial footing will help us attract investment in the city, raise our tax base and lower the burden that is placed on current homeowners and businesses. We must remain vigilant as we consider future opportunities and fiscal demands."

Read Mayor Flowers budget message here and see the proposed budget here.

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