The Democrat announced to councilors at City Hall that Poughkeepsie has finally wiped out a nearly decade-old general fund deficit of $13.2 million. Not only that, but the city received multiple positive outlooks from credit agencies last year, and now has a positive general fund balance of more than $2 million.
“This is the city’s first positive general fund balance since 2008," adds Flowers. "It’s a start toward ensuring continual upgrades to the city’s credit rating."
Flowers, who took office as the city’s first Black mayor in January, has pledged to unite the city’s north and south sides and present a more united front between the mayor’s office and the Poughkeepsie Common Council. The two branches have repeatedly clashed over the years, but Councilmember-at-Large Da’Ron Wilson — also a first-term Democrat — says this is the most collaborative the two have been in a long time.
"We speak all the time — the mayor, myself, her administration, and the council members as well," he notes. "And I definitely say, right now, we're going in the right direction. [We're] working on the same issues, having the same vision."
First on Flowers’ list is hiring a new city administrator to fill the vacancy left by former Mayor and City Administrator Marc Nelson. The mayor’s office isn’t the only one taking applications: Flowers says the Poughkeepsie Police Department has just 83 members, and is hoping to take advantage of recent changes to civil service laws to recruit officers from around the state. When it comes to public safety, Flowers says she plans to lean on outreach initiatives and partnerships with Dutchess County programs to connect those experiencing homelessness, substance abuse, and mental health issues with social workers, rather than police. Wilson says he agrees with her approach.
"We really need to look at and try to work with the different agencies that help provide them services and support," he says.
Flowers also vowed to pursue projects aimed at increasing Poughkeepsie’s affordable housing stock and home ownership among residents. Poughkeepsie was recently designated a “pro-housing community” by New York state, giving it priority when applying to certain grant programs. Some Hudson Valley cities, including Kingston and Newburgh, have opted into rent control via the New York Emergency Tenant Protection Act, but Poughkeepsie is still awaiting the results of a vacancy study to determine whether its rental market qualifies as a housing emergency. Flowers didn’t have an update on that in her speech, but she did say she will create a housing task force of tenants, landlords, developers, and more by mid-June to examine the city’s needs.
"We already have strong partners on the ground doing the work, including Hudson River Housing, Rebuilding Together Dutchess County, Dutchess County Habitat for Humanity, Dutchess County Realtors and the Dutchess County / Poughkeepsie Land Bank," says Flowers. "And the city is now working with the Poughkeepsie IDA to further incentivize development in the city aimed at workforce housing."
Flowers says the city is working to update its zoning code — something Wilson hopes can encourage more housing development. Flowers says she also supports efforts to establish a downtown business improvement district by Main Street. After a months-long search, the city is finalizing a licensing agreement with Queens-based ESS Hospitality to resurrect the Ice House at Waryas Park and turn it into “The Governess,” a gastropub serving American fare.
Next, Flowers wants to move on efforts to redevelop the former DeLaval site on the city’s southern waterfront. The city received two proposals for the site last year, but Flowers says Nelson left the decision to the next administration.
"This site has been dormant for far too long, and paralysis must no longer persist," she notes. "We believe compatible uses including water-related recreational activities, an amphitheater, restaurants, stores, docks would be the key to bringing everyone together to support this once-in-a-lifetime development opportunity."
Other improvements residents can expect soon: Flowers says renovations are nearing completion at the Pulaski Park pool house, and plans for a new Spratt Park pool house are next. She says she also wants to forward on upgrades to Bartlett Park, multiple city bridges, and Poughkeepsie’s water and sewer infrastructure. Flowers says the city is trying to gather funds to replace more than 5,500 lead service lines, and it recently applied for a nearly $10 million federal grant to help get the job done.
"We know this work won’t be accomplished overnight, and it will take a considerable, sustained effort," says Flowers. "Our state and our federal partners are gonna have to particularly step up if we’re going to move at the pace that the public and the federal government envisions."
