Mayor’s budget raises taxes to pay for employee benefits

Skip to content Mayor’s budget raises taxes to pay for employee benefits November 9, 2026 5:30 am Todd Bender Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print POUGHKEEPSIE – Mayor Yvonne Flowers released her 2027 Proposed Budget in mid-October that includes tax increases for property owners.  The mayor developed a $121,532,237 spending plan shaped by inflationary pressures from decisions made in Washington, DC.  The budget calls for a 10.38 percent increase in the tax levy, resulting in $37.7 million in revenue for the city. Before the Common Council makes any changes, the mayor’s budget includes a 1.54% increase in homestead taxes and a 1.71% increase in non-homestead (commercial) property taxes.  Under the mayor’s budget, a residential home in the city assessed at $300,000 will see a $48 increase in property taxes. Contractual expenses, employee benefits, and personal services account for nearly $8 million in increases over the 2026 approved budget.  The police department accounts for a $2.27 million increase in spending, with the fire department following at $691,000 and DPW increasing by approximately $500,000.  Employee benefits, budgeted separately, are increasing by approximately $1.75 million to $24,148,415. “As mayor, I have a responsibility to ensure that City government remains focused on what matters most:  delivering effective services to our residents, strengthening our community, and protecting the public resources entrusted to us,” Mayor Flowers said in her Budget Address .  The mayor says her budget supports future capital needs while maintaining fiscal stability in the city. Under the proposed budget, city property owners would collectively pay about $3.54 million more in property taxes than in 2026. The 2027 proposed budget calls for a 12.76% increase in water rates, while sanitation fees remain unchanged.  In 2026, water was billed at $7.13 per unit, while Flowers seeks an increase to $8.04 per unit in 2027.  The proposed increase would cost the median household approximately $25,48 more annually.  Sewer and sanitation rates will remain at the 2026 level. Although no sanitation increase is proposed in 2027, the quarterly fee has risen nearly 30 percent since 2024. The Common Council will consider adjustments to the proposed budget and then approve the spending plan before December 31, 2026. Todd Bender Todd Bender started as a stringer before rising through the ranks to become the Dutchess County Bureau Chief and senior investigative reporter for Mid Hudson News, focusing on crime and government. He is an avid angler and has recently taken up fly fishing for trout as a way to frustrate himself prior to bass season when his frustration turns to aggravation due to the lack of time he gets to take his spinning and baitcasting gear to actually go fishing. You can reach him by emailing [email protected] Popular Stories Wallkill GOP accuse DenDanto of bypassing budget process November 7, 2026 Good Samaritan rescues injured cat laying on road (VIDEO) November 5, 2026 New Rockland Drainage Agency head named November 3, 2026 Some town supervisors coast to victory in Dutchess November 4, 2026 Absentee ballots tighten three races in Putnam County November 6, 2026