Poughkeepsie … Dutchess County Executive William F.X. O’Neil presented his 2023 State of the County Address on Wednesday evening at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, providing the hundreds in attendance highlights of the County Government leaders, finances and projects currently underway that collectively help to make Dutchess exceptional.
County Executive O’Neil, who will retire at the end of 2023, took the opportunity in his first and only State of the County Address, to spotlight and thank the many County leaders who contribute to Dutchess County’s exceptional status, including his senior cabinet team, Executive branch department heads, as well as the County’s independently elected officials.
“Dutchess County has exceptional leadership, and it sets us apart from the rest of the state,” said County Executive O’Neil. “Although I will not be the County Executive in 2024, I am hopeful that my successor will recognize these leaders responsible for making our community the exceptional place it is and will continue to work with this strong team to expand on the success we’ve had.”
County Executive O’Neil declared Dutchess County’s financial outlook as strong, vibrant and exceptional,
evident in its past nine years of continued tax relief, including the elimination of sales tax on clothing and footwear purchases under $110, as well as Dutchess’ most recent AA+ bond rating from Standard and Poor’s, released last week.
“To be exceptional, you need measurements, results and outcomes, and the best measurement for a government agency lies in its fiscal stewardship,” the County Executive said. “Dutchess County finances are strong because of a steadfast management team guiding our policies, strategies, cash flow, and budget. They make tough decisions, maximizing State and Federal revenues while minimizing the amount needed from local taxpayers. Their work has clearly paid off.”
County Executive O’Neil also updated the residents, business and nonprofit leaders, local and state officials in attendance on several ongoing projects for 2023:
Justice and Transition Center (JTC)
Replacing the current Dutchess County Jail, the JTC is scheduled to be functionally complete and ready to be occupied this summer – on time and significantly under budget – following officer training in the new facility and signoff by the New York State Commission on Correction.
With its modern design, the JTC enables the County to better address the needs of both those who are incarcerated and those who work in the facility. Operations will be more efficient and cost-effective in this new building through modernized operations and improved personnel utilization, with the ability to save taxpayers millions each year. The new space will allow for the expansion of the evidence-based, rehabilitation programming that make Dutchess County a leader in New York State – including Medication Assisted Treatment for those struggling with opioid use disorders and RESTART, the Re-Entry Stabilization, Transition and Reintegration Track, which has proven to drive down recidivism for participants.
Emergency Housing Facility
The County continues to address the challenges of housing availability and affordability, working to expanding options across the housing spectrum with tools such as the Housing Trust Fund.
Confronting the national challenge of homelessness, Dutchess County purchased 26 Oakley Street in the City of Poughkeepsie last year, with the intent of using the space to implement an evidence-based model for operating its Emergency Housing Facility, offering emergency housing for those experiencing homelessness and extensive wrap-around services all in one facility.
Several ongoing challenges, including ongoing opposition to the location, costs to meet zoning codes and City Council community benefit payment requests, have curtailed those plans. The County continues to weigh its options for the Oakley Street property, including the possibility of locating a central arraignment court at the site. The County is also in discussions with the Poughkeepsie City School District, which previously sought to purchase the property and remains interested in acquiring it.
The County will reopen its search of a permanent location for the Emergency Housing Facility and in the meantime, will continue to use the current location in the PODS on North Hamilton Street on a temporary basis. The County will, however, be able to implement the programming and services to stay on target for implementing its new model in 2023 by utilizing space in the current jail facility as it is decommissioned and vacated in July. The former jail space will also be evaluated to potentially replace the PODS as better temporary housing to utilize as the County continues its search for the permanent Emergency Housing Facility location.
Empowerment Center
Dutchess County continues to take a proactive and collaborative approach to combating the opioid epidemic and the complex challenges associated with behavioral health, including prevention, treatment, crisis intervention, acute care and recovery. The County continues to lead with new, pioneering offerings, carefully utilizing funding received through ongoing opioid lawsuit settlements.
The County’s Empowerment Center has found its new home at its whole health campus at 230 North Road in Poughkeepsie, offering a drop-in style service that is peer support-centered. This follows the launch, earlier this year, of the County’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program, a partnership with the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department which reaches those facing substance use disorder where they are. In its first month of operation, the program has already helped several clients begin their treatment journey.
County Parks
Acknowledging how Dutchess County’s award-winning parks system enhances the quality of life for residents and visitors, County Executive O’Neil announced exciting improvements to several County parks in 2023, including the addition of pickleball courts at Quiet Cove Riverside Park, the first such court at any County park; the opening this spring of the first phase of the Northside Line, an urban trail connecting the Town and City of Poughkeepsie; improvements to Dutchess Stadium, home of the Hudson Valley Renegades, have begun to be made by the team’s ownership, Diamond Baseball Holdings; and construction on the Lake Walton Preserve will begin this year, following years of discussion and planning.
Youth Opportunity Union (The YOU)
Following Dutchess County’s purchase of the former YMCA building in the City of Poughkeepsie, and the subsequent demolition of the dilapidated structure, the County is on the verge of the next step in bringing its transformative countywide youth center, the Youth Opportunity Union (The YOU), to reality.
The County’s chosen architect, world-renowned MASS Design, has extensively analyzed, scrutinized, and value-engineered a design that is attainable, buildable and phase-able. In the near future, County Executive O’Neil will unveil more details.
County Executive O’Neil closed his presentation addressing concerns about the impending impacts of New York State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) and its lack of realistic implementation plans.
Dutchess County has long supported environmental protection efforts, taking steps to increase use of renewable energy sources, both in County government facilities and the community at large, and earning bronze-level certification in the New York State-Certified Climate Smart Community program. The County is currently progressing toward achieving silver certification, establishing benchmarks through a realistic and achievable action plan.
The County Executive outlined concerns about the availability, affordability and reliability of energy if the CLCPA proceeds as outlined. CLCPA calls for new, renewable energy sources with aggressive and unrealistic timelines – for example, 6 percent of the State’s current electric supply comes from solar and wind sources, but the CLCPA decrees that must increase to 70 percent over the next 17 years – while dismantling the current infrastructure that supplies energy to New York homes and businesses.
County Executive O’Neil also discussed how the State seeks to exponentially increase demand on the electric grid – with home heating, appliances and vehicles and more all to be required to convert from natural gas and other fossil fuels in the next few years – without having tested, reliable infrastructure in place, which will likely lead to rising costs and rolling brownouts.
“The CLCPA will cause our energy costs to skyrocket, our energy availability to be greatly reduced, and our way of life will be so totally disrupted that the mass exodus of businesses and individuals will devastate New York beyond repair,” said County Executive O’Neil, who implored residents and business owners to contact their state representatives to curb the CLCPA.
Full text and video of County Executive O’Neil’s 2023 State of the County Address is available on Dutchess County’s website.
